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Completed Projects
The rehabilitation of the upper part of Darat al-Funun – The Khalid Shoman Foundation complex in the Jabal al-Luwaybdah district of Amman was completed. The project, which was carried out by Sahel Al Hiyari, included redesigning a stretch of the outer walls of the complex as well as its northern entrance. The complex includes the remains of a sixth-century Byzantine church and three houses dating to the second and third decades of the twentieth century. The complex was renovated into a foundation for the arts during the early 1990s. The architect in charge of the renovation then was Ammar Khammash.
Darat al-Funun
The Wasfi al-Tall Museum in Sweileh was renovated and inaugurated. The 1952 building was the residence of the former Jordanian Prime Minister Wasfi al-Tall. The renovation works included electro-mechanical works, wall painting, floor tiling, and landscaping. (Source: al-Ghad, September 4, 2005)
The 12-million JD (17-million $US) addition to the Queen Alia Heart Centre at the King Hussein Medical City and phase II of a project to expand the Princess Muna College of Nursing were completed at a cost of 4 million JD (5.6 million $US). The new heart center addition has a capacity of 78 beds, in addition to an 8,000 square-meter administrative building. Nine classrooms have been added to the nursing college, along with an auditorium, medical and computer labs, a gymnasium, and administrative offices. (Source: The Jordan Times, September 8, 2005)
The Queen Alia Heart Centre
The Queen Alia Heart Centre
Madaba Inn, which is owned by the Social Security Corporation and managed by Grand Palace Company, was inaugurated. The eight-storey, 3,266 square-meter hotel includes 33 rooms, restaurants, a multipurpose hall, and commercial stores. The hotel was built on an 815 square-meter plot for a cost of 1.6 million JD (2.25 million $US). (Source: al-Ghad, September 15, 2005)
Work on the new Raghadan Terminal is scheduled for completion in November 2005. The 6-million JD (8.45-million $US) project includes a 6,850 square-meter white "service" car terminal, a 9,623 square-meter small-bus terminal, and a 1,214 square-meter large-bus terminal. The project also includes circulation spaces amounting to 2,808 square meters, 903 square meters of green spaces, 4,897 square meters of public spaces, 2,607 square meters of commercial spaces, 726 square meters occupying electro-mechanical facilities and toilets, as well as four towers at the corners of the terminal that take up 2,297 square meters. (Source: al-Ghad, September 21, 2005)
Initiation of Projects
Construction work will start shortly on a mall in Amman's 'Abdun area. The mall, which will be 120,000 square meters in area, will include cinemas, a bowling center, retail shops, restaurants, and a supermarket. The project is estimated to cost 70 million JD (100 million $US) and is expected to be completed during the first half of 2008. (Source: al-Ra'i, September 4, 2005)
The Greater Amman Municipality started construction work on the intersection connecting al-Quds International Street with Prince Hashim Street. The 485-meter, two-lane tunnel will ease the flow of traffic from al-Quds Street towards Hayy Nazzal Street. The project, which is scheduled for completion by mid-2006, is part of Amman's 24.5-kilometer Ring Road. (Source: The Jordan Times, September 7, 2005)
The Department of Antiquities in al-Mafraq started renovation works on the Byzantine Umm al-Jimal archaeological site located in the north of Jordan. The historical remains of the 100-hectare site include 15 churches and cathedrals. (Source: al-Ra'i, September 19, 2005)
Completed Designs
Designs for a commercial tower for Emaar Development and Investment Company were completed. The tower, which will be located between the Fifth and the Sixth Circles in Amman, will be 17 stories high and will include 40,000 square meters of built-up areas. The project is estimated to cost 14 million JD (19.7 million $US). (Source: al-Ra'i, September 4, 2005)
Bitar Consultants completed designs for the renovation of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation building in Amman.
New Commissions
The Consolidated Consultants – Jafar Tukan Architect were commissioned to design the Damac Residential Development in 'Abdali for the Dubai-based Damac Properties. The 52,000 square-meter, 34-storey tower will include apartments and retail facilities.
The Damac Residential Development
The Damac Residential Development
The Ministry of Health started designs to expand the Ma'adh Public Hospital in Northern Shuneh in the Jordan Valley at a cost of 1.25 million JD (1.76 million $US). The expansion project, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2005, aims at meeting the growing health needs of the area's 60,000 residents. (Source: The Jordan Times, September 5, 2005)
The Ministry of Transport invited tenders for phase I of the Inland Port Project east of Amman. The 30-hectare project is being funded by the World Bank and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2005. The project will include a customs terminal, spaces for containers, offices, service buildings, and workshops. (Source: al-Ra'i, September 13, 2005)
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) commissioned the United Arab Emirates-based al-Baddad company for the construction of a resort in Wadi Rum on a 1.6-hectare site. Construction work on the project is expected to start by the end of 2005 and to extend over a period of nine years. The project, which is expected to cost 100 million JD (140 million $US), will include hotels, chalets, and a desert reserve. (Source: al-Ghad, September 20, 2005)
The Islamic Hospital commissioned Anas Contracting Company to carry out phase II of the hospital's expansion for a cost of 6.3 million JD (8.87 million $US). The expansion will result in a built-up area of 275,200 square meters, divided over eight stories. The project will include parking areas, storage facilities, workshops, offices, clinics, pharmacies, operation rooms, X-ray rooms, and intensive care units. (Source: al-Ghad, September 26, 2005).
Competitions
Bilal Hammad Architects won a competition for the design of the 5,500 square-meter extension to the headquarters of the Fastlink mobile telecommunications company in Amman.
FastLink Headquarters Extension Building
FastLink Headquarters Extension Building
Omrania-Jordan won an international competition for the design of the Saudi Arabian Embassy Complex in Amman for the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The 26,200 square-meter complex occupies a site of about 1.5 hectares. The project consists of a chancellery, the various attaché offices, the consulate, and a residential complex that will house twenty-three families. Amenities include a large prayer hall, a function room, guard quarters, and underground parking facilities.
Saudi Arabian Embassy
Lectures
Architect Sahel Al Hiyari, Suha Ozkan, the Director General of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and Mohammad al-Asad, the Director of the Center for the Study of the Built Environment, held a meeting at Darat al-Funun in Amman in which short presentations were made in connection with an exhibition on Al Hiyari’s architecture that also took place at Darat al-Funun. (Source: The Jordan Times, September 12, 2005)
Exhibitions
An exhibition of the work of architect Sahel Al Hiyari entitled Architecture was held at Darat al-Funun in Amman.
The Department of Antiquities and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Amman, held an exhibition entitled Archaeological Research in Usaykhim. The exhibition was held in the historic al-Azraq Castle in the eastern Jordan Badiya. (Source: al-Ghad, September 8, 2005)
Seminars
The Engineering Offices Commission at the Jordan Engineers Association, in collaboration with Jordan Vision 2020, held a workshop addressing the engineering sector in the Kingdom. (Source: al-Ra'i, September 13, 2005)
The Cultural Department of the Greater Amman Municipality held a seminar entitled Apartments and Neighbor Related Problems. The seminar discussed legal, social, and engineering problems affecting apartment buildings in Amman. (Source: al-Ra'i, September 15, 2005)
The Jordan Engineers Association organized a seminar entitled The Real Estate Market in Jordan. The seminar discussed the size of the real estate market in Jordan and the reasons behind its recent dramatic growth. (Source: al-Ghad September 16, 2005)
The National Resources Investment and Development Corporation (MAWARED) participated in the Cityscape 2005 conference in Dubai, and made a presentation on the Zarqa New Garden City Project. This is MAWARED's third participation in this regional real estate event. (Source: al-Ra'i, September 16, 2005)
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the World Bank, in collaboration with the Greater Jarash Municipality, organized a workshop entitled the Jarash Development Project. The workshop is part of the Tourism Development Project III for Jordan, which the World Bank is funding in the amount of 7 million JD (10 million $US). (Source: al-Ra'i, September 29, 2005)
Other News
The first issue of the Jordanian magazine Jordan Land was published. The magazine, which is published by the Jordan Land Company, specializes in real estate and construction. (Source: al-Ghad, September 8, 2005)
The National Building Council approved the new edition of the Earthquake Resistant Buildings Code. The council also is considering establishing a higher committee to regulate the construction sector in the Kingdom. (Source: al-Ra'i, September 8, 2005)
The Greater Amman Municipality expects its 2006 budget to reach 130 million JD (183 million $US), which would be the highest budget in the municipality's history. The 2005 budget amounted to 114 million JD (160 million $US). (Source: al-Ra'i, September 15, 2005)
The Greater Amman Municipality allocated 5 million JD (around 7 million $US) for beautification works in a number of areas in Amman. The municipality finished works on al-Batha' Street for 150,000 JD (211,000 $US), Tibah Street for 150,000 JD (211,000 $US), Bahjat al-Talhuni Street for 150,000 JD (211,000 $US), Zayd bin Khalid Street for 390,000 JD (around 550,000 $US), 'Umar Matar Street for 250,000 JD (around 352,000 $US), in addition to the First, Second, and Third Circles. (Source: al-Ghad, September 21, 2005)
The Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation at the United States Embassy in Amman is funding two archaeological renovation projects in the amount of 65,000 JD (around 91,500 $US). The first project involves renovation works in Tall Husban near Madaba, and will be carried out by the Michigan-based Andrews University in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities. The second project involves renovation works at al-Ghuwayr in Wadi Finan in the south of Jordan, a site that holds remains from the Paleolithic Period (9000 - 5000 BC), and will be carried out by the University of Nevada. (Source: al-Ghad, September 30, 2005)
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology invited tenders for the design of new postal stamps in three categories: sports; modern architecture in Jordan; and Japanese-Jordanian friendship. (Source: al-Ghad, September 6, 2005)
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