International contest to design centre for the victims of terrorism

An open international ideas contest is being held to design a rehabilitation centre for the victims of terrorism in the Zayouna district of Baghdad [Deadline: 1 October 2022]. 

Open to architects, students, engineers, planners and designers – the single-stage and free-to-enter competition seeks proposals for a new complex capable of providing ‘extensive rehabilitation’ to up to 260 patients on a prominent undeveloped site close to the Iraqi capital’s landmark Al-Shaab International Stadium. 

The call for ideas – organised by Iraqi architectural awards initiative Tamayouz – aims to generate ideas for a new centre which could ‘physically, psychologically and socially’ help the survivors of terrorist attacks which wounded 239,133 people in the country between 2004 and 2011. The overall winner will receive the Dewan Award named after a practice in Dubai which sponsors the competition. 

According to the brief: ‘Although the number of terrorist attacks has relatively decreased in recent years, injuries sustained, mental and emotional trauma from these attacks are long term and can affect people for their whole lives. The Human impacts of these frequent terrorist attacks that targets Iraqi of all ages and backgrounds is not a historical problem but one that is current and ongoing – thus the need for rehabilitation centres is urgent. 

‘Rehabilitation is long term and oriented to positive life activity, and considers the whole person. The rehabilitation centre should provide extensive rehabilitation to the injured person and give them a feeling that they have control over their lives again by assisting them in better understanding, coping with, and processing the emotions and memories tied to traumatic experiences. The centre should also train the patients and build their capacity to develop their skills and confidence to rejoin society and the job market.​’ 

The ‘A Rehabilitation Centre for Terrorism Victims in Iraq’ competition focusses on a large 119m by 423m site close to the Le Corbusier-designed Al-Shaab Sports Hall and the Mohammed Al-Qassim Expressway in the wealthy Zayouna suburb of Baghdad which features a large number of residential blocks and a busy shopping centre. 

The call for concepts seeks to identify solutions to the ongoing humanitarian challenges of Iraq which – in the case of Baghdad – saw more than half of its heritage and listed buildings destroyed and experienced $335 billion in financial losses since the 2003 invasion. Iraq has experienced more terrorist attacks involving explosives than any country in the world and it is estimated 239,133 Iraqis were wounded as a result of terrorist attacks between 2004 and 2011.

Proposals for the rehabilitation centre should promote a ‘sense of privacy, safety and Hope’ and include therapy areas, exercise rooms, an X-ray space, a cafeteria, workshops, a multi-purpose hall, a prayer room, social club, children’s playground, library, offices and a kitchen. 

Submissions will be judged on their relevance to the urban and cultural context; programmatic response to existing local urban, environmental and social conditions and challenges; and the concept’s spatial and technical justification. 

The latest contest is the tenth Dewan Award competition to be organised by Tamayouz which is headquartered in Coventry, England. In 2020, the organisation held a contest to design a 15,000m2 youth centre and marketplace in Baghdad which was won by Ola Ahmed Maged and Mostafa Hazem from Giza, Egypt. 

The overall winner, to be announced in November, will receive USD $6,000 or a half-year paid internship at Dewan Architects and Engineers in Dubai worth around 10,000 AED per month. A second prize of USD $3,000; third prize of USD $1,000 and several honourable mentions will also be awarded. The competition language is English and the deadline for applications is 1 October. 

by Merlin Fulcher

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