Nizar taha a tribute to the philadelphia hotel in downtown amman

1. Amman Nexus
A tribute to the Philadelphia hotel in Downtown Amman
The site is located in downtown Amman, adjacent to the Roman Amphitheatre and the
Hashemite Plaza, and can clearly be viewed from the mountain across, where Amman
Citadel lies. It can be approached through Quraish Street, the sole vehicular lane to the
site. From the south, it is bounded by a steeply sloped hillside. The projects area is around
13000 m2, and it includes the old Municipal building, two existing building structures, and
a police station. The latter three are scheduled for demolition. The site also comprises an
existing public plaza, a parking lot and a hillside, where the poetry house is situated.
Placing a boutique hotel in this location is a part of the urban development of Wadi
Amman. The entire Downtown area has about 27 Hotels, mostly 2-1 star Hotels, therefore
creating a hotel with higher standards would be a first in the area, and is expected to meet
the guests needs; quality and proximity to the touristic sites in the area.
There are several objectives for creating such a project, however, the Greater Amman
Municipality’s most important one is, converting the old Municipal Building into a boutique
hotel, whilst preserving its cultural heritage and authenticity, thus creating a world-class
hotel within the area. This would be achieved through hiring a prominent Architect, and a
chain operator, which will conduct the rehabilitation of the building, and also assign the
hotel operators and managers.

3. As a student graduation project, the design intended to emphasize on Amman’s image
and its Downtown’s character, by translating them into contemporary architecture along
with a contemporary urban public space, where the building would act as a public hub,
and also emphasize the relationship between the valley and the hill, whilst maintaining a
functional, connective public space.
The design is also meant to enhance the pedestrian overall experience, and attract
more tourists to the area, as the site is located in the center of major touristic sites in the
Downtown, and the surrounding hills. It is also meant to reduce the cultural gap between
the East and West Amman, by mixing the two together in one meeting point.
Various Ammani elements were incorporated within the design’s main concept, such
as the interesting major urban nodes, found in the heart of the Downtown; Al-Husseini
Mosque being one of the major examples, Amman’s unique topography and the density of
its hills, which create an important base for an urban visual experience, and also the urban
balconies, which have served as an interesting connection between the public and the
private life of its residents.

4. Section C-C
Section B-B
Section A-A
Public space, conference
theatre, meeting room,
event hall, SPA, service
and accomodation.
Public space, park-
ing, public stairs, Gym,
bridge, museum and
poetry house stairs.
Reception, lobby space,
underground tunnel,
public space, service and
accomodation.

5. Two major masses were proposed; the first one comprises private functions, which is
connected to the municipality building. The second one contains public functions, where
also the public could utilize certain parts of its roof. Public stairs were added between the
two masses. This core system created dynamic spaces of interaction between the two
main masses.
A drop-off area is placed in front of the hotel’s main entrance; the main entrance being a
part of the Old Municipal building, adds to the importance of the entire structure. From
the main entrance a staircase, an escalator and an elevator lead towards an underground
tunnel, which extends to the hotel’s accommodation. The main circulation throughout this
entire mass consists of escalators, a staircase, and elevators as well. This space is rather
open, and lit by skylights from the roof, and is cladded with a steel sunscreen from the
side, which provides indirect light to the entire circulation hall. On the fourth Floor lies a
bridge, which leads to the accommodation spaces located in the second building mass.
Two more entrances were created, one, which leads to the public functions within the
hotel, such as the gym, the conference center, SPA, and the event hall. The second
entrance takes one into an interactive museum about Amman and the old Philadelphia
Hotel, which was demolished in 1986. The museum is connected to the Poetry House
through an underground staircase.
A large public plaza was designed fronting the new structures, which is meant to act
as an extension to the public stairs. Adequate urban furniture was designed to fit the
massiveness of the context. Large trees and reflective pools were added to the design,
providing shade, a cooling effect on the space, and also reflecting the adjacent old
building facades. New public stairs were introduced, forming the roofing strata of the gym,
whereas a strip of glass is placed under each step, providing daylight to the interior of the
gym, and emitting light to the plaza during nighttime. This contemporary staircase creates
a contrast with the old Roman Amphitheatre, throughout its form, architectural character,
and size.
A green roof for the major two masses was proposed, as well as placing solar panels
on the roof, providing solar energy to the hotel. Sunscreens were added to the western
facades, protecting the buildings from overheating via sunlight. Also, a major water
harvesting system is proposed, which will enable collecting rainwater, as Jordan has poor
water resources.
Spatial distribution

6. Ground floor plan First floor plan Fourth floor plan

7. Site plan
Single room
Double room
Terraced room
First floor
Second floor