CSBE's Favorite Plaster Buildings in Jordan

1. The Blue Fig
Designed by Jordanian architect Khalid Nahhas of Symbiosis Designs
Amman
1997

This 940-sq.m L-shaped restaurant building is characterized by a layer of warm terracotta earth-tone concrete and plaster that covers both its exterior and interior surfaces. Its plastered surfaces are interrupted by steel and glass areas that introduce natural daylight.

2. M. B. House:
Designed by Jordanian architect Sahel Al Hiyari
Jordan Valley
1999

This weekend house in the Jordan Valley area was designed in a manner that minimizes construction costs and maximizes living spaces. It occupies an L-shaped footprint that partially defines an adjacent outdoor court.

3. Work and Consultation Space for a Psychologist
Designed by Jordanian architect Sahel Al Hiyari
Amman
2001

This project is a renovation of part of a residential structure dating to the 1950s and 1920s. It occupies less than 60 sq.m. and was completed for a budget of about 11,000 JD. The exterior facades were re-plastered with a roughly-textured layer of concrete that is mixed with steel powder. The powder is intended to rust, and the resulting rough texture of the concrete articulated by the brownish speckles of rusted steel provides for a calculated harshness that well tolerates the process of weathering. 

4. Feynan Eco Lodge
Designed by Jordanian architect Ammar Khammash of Khammash Architects
Dana Bioshphere Reserve
2002

The ascetic architecture of this structure with its sand and cement surfaces is inspired by the Coptic monasteries in Egypt. 

5. Abu Samra House
Designed by Jordanian architect Khalid Nahhas of Symbiosis Designs
Amman
2005

This earth-toned plastered building with its subdued hues fits perfectly well within the dry local landscape and the strong bright Jordanian sun.

6. Amman Electricity Hangar
Designed by the Jordanian architectural office TURATH: Architecture & Urban Design Consultants
Amman
2010

The rehabilitation of the 1930s Amman Electricity Hangar is based on minimal intervention and spatial flexibility to accommodate uses ranging from art installations to public lectures and gatherings. The Hangar’s main façade is glazed to better connect the interior space with the outdoor plaza.