Ink dries on Central Bank of Iraq contract
30 January 2012
Max Fordham are now officially part of the Central Bank of Iraq Headquarters design team, after signing the contract in a ceremony at the V&A Museum last week.
The $550M project, led by Zaha Hadid Architects, will see the construction of the Bank’s new headquarters on the River Tigris in Baghdad, which takes a major step forward in modernising the institution.
In one of their largest projects to date, Max Fordham will provide mechanical and electrical design, architectural lighting, acoustics and sustainability consultancy for the design team.
The project comes at a pivotal moment in Iraq’s history, and will create a new landmark embodying the Bank’s key values; solidity, stability and sustainability.
Senior Partner Henry Luker said Max Fordham is proud to be part of this important project.
“The Practice understands how vital this project is for the re-emerging Iraqi nation,” he said.
“The Bank’s investment should provide a catalyst for this area, encouraging urban vitality and regeneration and hopefully kick-starting a new generation of projects.”
The design team, led by Zaha Hadid Architects, have already produced an initial study setting out client’s requirements and site use.
Project Leader and Partner Dr Neil Smith, who will be leading the Max Fordham design team, says it showed a complex balance of requirements.
“The Central Bank of Iraq will of course be an advanced building in terms of technology and security, but sustainability is also high on the brief. It also needs to be self-sufficient and able to withstand unrest.
“This combination creates a lot of exciting engineering challenges for us.”
This appointment continues a long-running partnership between Max Fordham and Zaha Hadid Architects, having previously worked together on the Stirling Prize-winning MAXXI, Project Culenova in Bratislava, Napoli Afragola High Speed Railway Station and CityLife in Milan which is ongoing.