Project Description: Souk Al Zal is made up of two traditional carpet shopping centers with 210 shops and covered pedestrian walkways. The shops are arranged around small internal courtyards which provide natural light and ventilation. The courtyards are covered with tensile tent structures which provide protection from the sun whilst permitting good air flow. The project is unique in a sense that it entails the traditional Kuwaiti architecture use of wood, bamboo and distinctive color palette. Seen together with the tensile tent structures, one can see the successful merging of the old and the new. The cost of the building was $10 million USD.
