1. Jean Nouvel designed the Institut du Monde Arabe in the 1980s in collaboration with the Arab League and French government. 2. A key innovative feature is the advanced responsive metallic brise soleil sunshading system on the south facade, drawing inspiration from traditional Arabic mashrabiyya lattice screens. 3. The hundreds of light-sensitive diaphragms regulate light and produce shifting geometric patterns, dramatically modifying the interior spaces and exterior appearance while mitigating solar gain.

1. l'inistitute du monde
arabe
made by..
Maha Al-Gebaly

2. Introduction:-
In the early eighties Jean Nouvel in conjunction with
Architecture-Studio won the competition to design what would
become the Institut du Monde Arabe. It was conceived during the
Grands Projets, a major development initiative headed by the
French government. The IMA was produced through collaboration
with the countries of the Arab League and the French
government. Upon its completion in 1987, it quickly became a
popular destination for the local populace as well as tourists.
Typical of Jean Nouvel’s work is his attention to façade
detailing, and this design is no exception. A main feature and
innovative element of the IMA is the advanced responsive metallic
brise soleil on the south façade. Nouvel’s proposal for this system
was well received for its originality and its reinforcement of an
archetypal element of Arabic architecture – the mashrabiyya. He
drew inspiration from the traditional lattice work that has been
used for centuries in the Middle East to protect the occupants
from the sun and provide privacy. The system incorporates
several hundred light sensitive diaphragms that regulate the
amount of light that is allowed to enter the building. During the
various phases of the lens, a shifting geometric pattern is formed
and showcased as both light and void. Squares, circles, and
octagonal shapes are produced in a fluid motion as light is
modulated in parallel. Interior spaces are dramatically modified,
along with the exterior appearance. While these ocular devices
create an incredible aesthetic, they are functional from an
environmental controls standpoint as well. Solar gain is easily
mitigated by closing or reducing the aperture sizes.

3. analysis:-
- Nouvel was able to synthesize
traditional Arabic architectural elements into a modern design that
is evocative of the architecture of the Middle East. His use of light
as a building block and modifier of space creates a deeper sense
of place and enhances the overall experience. It continues to
serve as a great beacon and location for the interaction of Arab
culture.
-These diaphragms operate like a camera lens to control the
sun's penetration into the interior of the building. The changes to
the irises are dramatically revealed internally while externally a
subtle density pattern can be observed. Thus the whole effect is
like a giant Islamic pierced screen, giving significance and an
audacious brilliance to this remarkable building."

4. - One of the main reasons behind the construction of this
institute was to create a destination devoted to the relationship of
the Arab culture with France. Located at the threshold of the
historical peripheries of Paris along the River Seine, it responds to
its immediate context both in plan and elevation. In plan it follows
the curvature of the road, whose form is dictated by the river. Its 2
main volumes encompass an inner courtyard with the north mass
rising 9 stories and the southern portion rising to 11 stories. A
paved plaza provides an element of separation from the adjacent
Universite de Jussieu and the main volume of the building.
Further enhancing the outdoors spaces is the paving that mimics
the patterning of the façade. Recessed ground lights complement
the light play that emanates from the interior of the structure at
night. The interior spaces house numerous typologies including a
restaurant, museum, library, offices, and auditorium. A multi
storey glass atrium is wrapped with a steel staircase featuring
exposed elevator lifts on the interior. The library and northern
portion of the 4th floor feature increased floor to ceiling heights as
well as incorporating numerous terraces and a mezzanine.

5. -Intricate construction involving aluminum trim on structural
components and custom bolts and frames added to the
complexity, and ultimately beauty, of the building. The effect of
the finished product was to create a translucent surface that
“stretched like skin” across the structure.
-The goal was to create a work that maximized space as well as
form.Another continuation of the Arabic motif is the spatial play of
size and space in form.
-The halls and rooms expand and constrict in manners similar to
the mosques of the east. Also, a hypostyle room reflects the
influence of the ancient mosques in a modern fashion. In the
middle of the building there is an open courtyard which takes its
roots from the central fountains of the middle east. The plan
below displays this synthesis of forms.
-The north facade of the building does not have to work with
variable lighting conditions as the south facade does, and thus
has a simpler, cleaner profile. To mirror the modernity of the

6. Parisian landscape and highlight the use of light in the building, a
silk-screen was attached to the north facade depicting an
“abstract skyline” (2). The reflectivity of the surface mirrors the
pride and beauty of the surrounding buildings.
-it's function is a modern cultural urban building/center on the
banks of the River Seine.The large planar south facing façade is
the trademark of this building.This façade alone has helped
cultivate an image for the Arab World in the twentieth century The
south façade is composed of a modern interpretation of the
‘masharabiya’.
-building style is transitional. kinetic
-advantage:-
**The movement from the uncontrolled brightness of the street to
the deep shade of the entry procession to the controlled light of
the second floor was gradual and allowed time for the eye to

7. adjust and appreciate the careful controlled illumination of the
reading room.
**The light in the circulation areas is sufficient.
**The wall’s thickness and rounded interior corners acts to
significantly diffuse the sunlight. The brightest and most diffuse
illumination occurs in the center of the room, as that is where the
most high intensity visual tasks occur. The books are stored in.
- criticism :-
**The office users complained that they were, ‘uncomfortable’ and
‘disturbed’ by the masharabiya mechanisms and have made
efforts to rearrange their offices in.
**shutters suffer from mechanical difficulties but there is no doubt
that the designer has made a positive contribution to modern
architectural natural daylighting techniques.
**The average illumination in the library is more than sufficient but
highly inappropriate for a library setting.
**The silver metallic finish on the south façade produces reflected
glare in excess of 2000 foot-candles, that degree of direct glare is
both uncomfortable and unhealthy to the naked eye.
**When first seeing the south façade of the Arab Institute you are
absolutely certain that you are visiting a building related to Arab
culture. The similarities are clear, but so are the differences.