How to create a 'concept' for an architecture project?

Back at university, it took me over 3 years of architecture studies to understand what the word 'concept' really means! Anyone can relate?

To explain this mysterious word, we will guide you through a great example of an amazing concept: 'Louvre Abu Dhabi' designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel.

In fact, when we are creating a concept, the first thing that we explore is the context of the project. The buildings around it, the city, the urban planning, etc. But what if you're on a piece of land that doesn't have any neighboring elements? Here's where the genius of Ateliers Jean Nouvel operated. They anchored their concept around the identity of the region and provided creative solutions to its particularly hot climate. Here's how below:

On the identity of the region:

1. The dome, made of intricate interlacing material (8 separate layers), is a beautiful modern interpretation of the symbolic traditional Arabic cupola.

2. Underneath this dome, are 55 separate white pavilions that remind us of the old Arabic 'medina', with all of its alleys, squares and streets.

On responding to the hot climate:

3. The dome was essentially designed to filter the hot sun into what has been called the 'Rain of light'! Thus, ingeniously painting the interiors with light and creating shaded cool spaces all at once!

If you’ve been wondering how to create a real ‘concept’ for an architecture project - without having to trick your professor - stay tuned for more short insights like this one. To be able to learn correctly, there’s nothing better than dissecting architectural gems. And, well, you’ll find hundreds of articles online describing these famous projects. But you’ll rarely find an explanation of why these projects are considered a success or what was the thought process behind them. Hurry up, and sign up for our newsletter. See you there!