Overlooking Amman from a terraced hilltop site, the Saudi Embassy in Jordan forms a diplomatic “acropolis” that reflects an ideal of timeless dignity.
Its design is animated by a series of contrasts between monumental and vernacular form, smooth and rough surfaces, light and heavy masses, and natural and machined materials. These contrasts symbolically mediate between host and hosted countries as well as past and present eras. The architecture responds to the site and climate through a variety of shading, screening, massing, and orientation strategies.
The various program components of the complex are organized on three main levels. The marble-clad chancellery building occupies the western crown of the site, floating gracefully above the rest. Its U-shape plan encloses a grand ceremonial atrium—a sky-lit, three-level space ringed by catwalks and finished in wood, stone, and glass. Louvered screens shield the sunlight.
Visitors are welcomed on the intermediate level of the site through a shaded entrance plaza adjoining the attaché offices and consulate. The plaza’s large masonry openings frame dramatic views of Amman’s mountains and cityscape. The lowest parts of the site, stepping down to the east, contains a residential compound for employees.
To establish an effective security buffer while embracing the urban context, freestanding marble screens stand apart from the embassy’s main enclosure. This outer screen reinterprets the municipal setback codes by adhering to the street edge, while creating a cavity for enhanced security and environmental performance. The resulting in-between spaces provide shaded gardens and intermittent framed views of Amman. From the outside, this continuous masonry screen endows the embassy with a monumental aspect, establishing it as one of Amman’s major landmarks.
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