Geometric patterns. A detail of one of the high-tech windows of the "Arab World Institute". Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. Paris, France.
The Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris was founded in 1980 by France and 18 Arab countries. Its purpose is to promote respect, knowledge and understanding between the Islamic world and the West. The cultural centre is housed in a modern building which combines new materials and technology with traditional Arab architectural design. Created by the French Architect Jean Nouvel, it was under construction from 1981 till 1987. One of the buildings most distinctive features are the south facing windows, made up of an array of 240 high-tech metal screens which filter the sunlight entering the building. Each screen contains a complex of electronically controlled Irises which open and close in response to the amount of light falling on photosensitive detectors, creating a delicate ever changing pattern of light and shade inside the institute. At least that is what is supposed to happen, unfortunately the screens are no longer working.
Size: 4287px × 2848px
Location: The Arab World Institute, 1 Rue des Fossées St-Bernard, 5th Arrondissement, Paris, France, Europe.
Photo credit: © Andrew Wood / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1980, 1987, 5th, andrew, aperture, apertures, arab, arabe, architect, architectural, architecture, archive, archives, arrondissement, art, arts, awi, building, buildings, capital, center, centre, cities, city, close, color, colour, contemporary, cultural, culture, de, design, detail, du, electronic, europe, european, filter, filters, france, french, galleries, gallery, geometric, geometrical, geometry, glass, high, ima, image, innovation, innovative, institut, institute, iris, irises, islam, islamic, jean, libraries, library, light, mechanism, metal, modern, monde, moucharabieh, moucharabiehs, moucharabiyah, moucharabiyahs, museum, museums, nouvel, outdoors, paris, parisian, pattern, patterns, photosensitive, screen, screens, shade, shutter, shutters, tech, technology, urban, window, windows, wood, world, Île
