Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy UAE / Shape Architecture Practice + Research

Established in Abu Dhabi, right at the heart of the city’s diplomatic district, this facility was conceived to support the country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry through the education of young diplomats and government leaders. Rooted in Arab tradition and culture, an introverted building was created, with the play of outer opacity and internal transparency serving as a major motif. Diplomacy requires an openness to the world. This characteristic has been expressed through the large, welcoming glazed portals on either side of the opaque cubic form, as well as the proliferation of communal and collaborative spaces, and the site’s borderless integration into its surroundings.