The basic task here was to create an outdoor setting capable of hosting events for up to 300 people. The complications were the harsh desert climate and the timetable - six months from design to completion. All required functions, including an industrial kitchen, open bar, bathrooms, showers and changing rooms, are embedded within two limestone walls, between a series of linear gardens. Three finishing materials are used: travertine for all flooring and the swimming pool; Nuala limestone for the walls of the 40-metre-long pergola; and teak wood for the shade structure.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture