remix Qatar
Art on architecture The architecture of the building by itself nurtures greatness. That the building is the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ) is not a coincidence. And now there is an art collection within. T Qatar explores this juxtaposition of art within the architectural marvel, and the reasoning behind adding another layer to an already beautiful skin. by sindhu nair
he huge lobby with bridges connecting the two sides of the campus, traditional motifs that pattern the walls, a sense of other such large spaces beyond, a splash of color on one of the barriers, the streaming skylight – the “wow” features within CMUQ are far too many to list here. And, when it is the work of the world-renowned Mexican architectural enterprise Legoreta + Legoreta, you can’t help but keep an eye out for the master, Ricardo Legorreta’s signature style. Known for his penchant for bright colors, massive masonry walls, courtyards and facade cutouts that interact with the bright sunlight, Ricardo (who passed away in December 2011) doesn’t disappoint his followers, as all his features find a
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place in this institution; and he has gone a step beyond by incorporating traditional motifs that give the building a sense of locality. Elaborating on his design, he was quoted as saying: “We used natural materials such as stone and marble that is going to age well and look good in this particular environment. The combination of color accents creates a happy atmosphere that stimulates teachers and students, and encourages them to work together. With the use of color, we also wanted to create environments for the different uses of the building so that each space has its own personality.” The philosophy of the building is connected to the social experience of the university. “CMUQ wanted to be the heart of Education City,” he said.“Having two sides of the building with a green spine in the middle was the basis of the design. Similar to buildings in other cultures, this design creates space for people to pass