Kuwait’s Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre (JACC) has been named the Best Cultural Design Project at the prestigious Index Architecture & Design Awards 2018 (IADAs), held on 27 March at Dubai World Trade Centre, as part of the annual Index Exhibition.
Index is internationally respected as the largest design-oriented tradeshow in the Middle East. First launched in 1991, the four-day event welcomes more than 25,000 delegates from the design and architecture industry from more than 100 countries every year, with the IADAs celebrating exceptional creativity, innovation and passion in design.
SSH was appointed by design and build contractor, Al Hani Construction & Trading Company, as lead architecture and engineering designer on the four-building complex.
Since its grand opening in November 2016, the centre has won several architectural and design awards, now adding its IADA win to its roster. JACC plays host to various performing arts and cultural events, as well as local and international acts. Together, with the recently opened Sheikh Abdullah Al Ahmad Cultural Centre (ASCC), also designed by SSH, JACC forms part of Kuwait City’s new national cultural district.
The key buildings of the complex are a Theatre Centre, Music Centre, Conference Centre and National Library for Historical Documents, all set within a national park for Kuwait. Designed to resemble jewels, JACC acts as the centrepiece of the country’s cultural quarter.
“On behalf of the Amiri Diwan and SSH, we are very proud that the Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre has been honoured with this award,” said George Abi-Hanna, Managing Director of SSH Kuwait. “This reaffirms the strength of the Amiri Diwan’s vision for this complex and the quality of SSH’s design and its architectural and engineering team. A fantastic result.”
ABOUT SSH
SSH is one of the leading master planning, infrastructure, building design and construction supervision firms in the Middle East, with a reputation for design integrity and a portfolio that includes landmark projects throughout the region. The firm maintains offices in Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Bahrain, Dubai, Iraq, Kuwait, London, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Founded in 1961, we employ approximately 1,400 high-calibre local, regional and international experts in their individual fields, most of whom are from globally renowned international consultancy firms. We ranked 3rd architecture company in the Middle East among the top 100 Architects in the world and number 1 design firm in the cultural sector in the world by World Architecture Magazine in 2015 and 2016.
We were also ranked in 95th place among ENR’s Top 225 International Design Firms for 2017.
SSH’s multifaceted practices include architecture, urban design and planning, landscape architecture, structural and civil engineering, MEP/building services, interior design, highway and bridge engineering, stormwater drainage, utility design, sanitary engineering, marine engineering and district cooling, in addition to high-profile project management and construction supervision services.