The ground floor consists of a kitchen, bathroom, and a work and consultation room. Each of the spaces provides a unique experience in terms of spatial qualities, manipulation of light, and use of materials and of textures.  (Figures 5 & 6)

The small bathroom is much more than a utilitarian space. It is a poorly lit area to begin with. Hiyari accepts its darkness, and therefore avoids using the usual white ceramic tiles and bathroom fixtures associated with bathrooms. Instead, he uses the dark Jordanian Dab'a stone of the Karak region as the main material for this space. The bathroom floor is paved with Dab'a stone, and the walls are covered with alternating protruding and recessed horizontal strips of that stone. A pleasant surprise is that each of the sink and toilet consists of a carved single block of stone. The result is works of sculpture. In keeping with the overall somber feel of the space, Hiyari had the ceiling painted in a dark olive green.  (Figures 7 & 8)

A similar approach extends into the kitchen. Here, the huge kitchen sink also is carved out of a single block of Dab'a stone and is placed over a steel cabinet. The color theme provided by the stone is continued for the floor, which is made of cement painted with a hint of lavender. One side of the kitchen is sheathed with broken mirror pieces. These give the tight space a sense of openness without denying that the resulting feeling of spaciousness is illusionary. Again, Hiyari's skill in making use of simple inexpensive common-day industrial objects is expressed in this space. The kitchen lighting fixtures are no more than galvanized industrial pipes hung from the ceiling with light bulbs fixed to their ends.  (Figure 9)

The main space of the project is the work and consultation room, a small space with a high ceiling that rises about four meters. Hiyari states that this space "provides multiple visual conditions and possibilities." Here, he uses the theme of sliding panels - which we first encountered with the exterior window grill - to provide the room with its spatial variety. Those vertical panels slide in a manner resembling overlapping curtains to create almost another wall parallel to and in front of the actual wall. Through the incorporation of these simple panels, which are made of wood and are hung from the ceiling, the amount of light entering the room is manipulated to transform it from a space flooded with natural light to what Hiyari refers to as a "warmly lit, sealed capsule." Consequently, a single physical space offers a multiplicity of effects, and the room functions in many ways as a stage set - though a very private one - that can be readily transformed to provide contrasting experiences of space and light.  (Figure 10)

The power of the work and consultation room is not confined to the manner in which Hiyari manipulates the play of light entering it. Every detail seems to reflect the tremendous care and creativity applied to this project. In the case of the floor, some of the original decorative terrazzo tiles were preserved, but the rest of the floor was redone with a cement finish. The result is a delicate reminder of the 1950s that is combined with a harsher contemporary concrete surrounding.

A stair leads to the upstairs room, which is intended as a contemplative space. A blue sliding panel - rather than the traditional hinged door - separates this upper-floor space from the stair. Consequently, the theme of sliding panels is continued. This space is spartan but relaxing. It has a bed that is a mattress placed on top of a concrete platform, which also functions as a storage box. The space also incorporates built-in shelves made of concrete. The heating radiator and the alcove in which it is located are painted in a dark blue that contrasts with the lighter colored walls of the room. The ground is covered with a warm sea-grass rug. The result is a space that is ideal for contemplation and relaxation.  (Figures 6, 11, 12, & 13)

Hiyari mentions that this project was designed around the "possible rapport between architecture and self discovery, and the question of how this space can facilitate such a process." This definitely is one theme that this design addresses. However, it goes much beyond that, and provides a powerful statement about the state of contemporary architecture within the context of a developing country such as Jordan. Much of the debate about this architecture remains bogged down within the dichotomy of "modernity vs. tradition." This design, in contrast, transcends this debate to create its own modernity and plant the seeds for a new tradition.

Prepared by Mohammad al-Asad with Diala Khasawneh

Project data:

Architect: Sahel Hiyari

General contractor: Mansour al-Taweel

Metalwork contractor: Yahya Kasji

Photographer: Jan Kassay (unless otherwise noted)

Date of completion: 2001

Location: First Circle Area, Jabal Amman, Amman, Jordan

Area: 57 square meters, in addition to a 20 square-meter open forecourt

Cost: 11,000 Jordanian Dinars (15,500 USD)

Sahel Hiyari is an architect and painter. He received his Bachelor's degrees in Architecture and Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, and his Master's of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University. He also attended three years at the University of Venice as a Doctorate student in architecture. He has been practicing architecture in Jordan since 1996. Before moving to Jordan, his professional experience included design work with Dar El Handasah, Shair and Partners in Cairo, and Machado Silvetti Associates in Boston. His paintings have been exhibited in Jordan, Lebanon, and Italy. Hiyari also is the first architect to receive the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, according to which he has been chosen as the protege of the Pritzker Prize winner architect Alvaro Siza of Portugal.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1:  Al-Jofah Hill in eastern Amman (photograph by Said