Independent Architects La Fontaine


Residential Projects	La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art, Bahrain	More Commercial Projects

The centre dates back a hundred and fifty years and is located in the heart of Manama close to the old “Suq”. We were asked to design a series of new interventions around the main courtyard, to create layers of privacy and shade for specific functions. Sets of designed screens respond to locations and functions, as a response to the regional tradition of integrated mashrabiya. Three design characters were created, the archipelago, spheres and grids, each location consisting sometimes of just a single layers, or screens built up from three layers, with offset patterns to trap the light, creating zones of brightness and allowing views in or out, depending on the time of day. After the original installation, the office were invited back to create a one off metal screening solution for the perimeter wall to improve privacy and create a recognisable motif for the centre.