Climate camp: Oualalou+Choi design the COP22 Village in Marrakech
![Building in Marrakesh](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/F7osP7SHpp83okVRwZBzw9-415-80.jpg)
At COP22, this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, delegates talked sustainability while experiencing sustainability – meeting throughout a reusable, recyclable village designed by Paris and Morocco-based architects Oualalou+Choi.
For two weeks in November, over 40,000 delegates from 195 countries met in the COP22 village, a mix of temporary structures which were spread out over 30 hectares of land on the southern edge of Marrakech. Using locally-sourced materials, Oualalou+Choi’s design reflected the climate summit’s focus on sustainable development, and at the same time incorporated local architectural traditions in new ways.
While diverse in appearance, the structures are contemporary responses to Moroccan architecture
Taking local, post-harvest festivals as a starting point, the architects constructed a communal space that ran as a seam down the centre of the village under a succession of canopies. 'The design of the exhibition grounds is based upon a temporary urbanism created by the installation of a village of canopies, entirely demountable and reusable,' the architects explain. The tent-like structure covered 12,400 sq m, linking together two sides of the village under a translucent and waterproof covering.
At the gateway to the summit, an impressive, remixed Moroccan archway greeted visitors. Dubbed ‘ark22’, the traditional arched design emerged from a puzzle of interlocking locally-sourced timber. At 12m high and 50m in length, the installation was comprised of identical, lightweight layers that could later be disassembled and reconstructed elsewhere in the city.
Inside the village, a series of verandas, patios and atria with accessible rooftops reflected the rural architectural traditions of Morocco. Named ‘agora22’, the structures housed two restaurants and functioned as communal meeting spaces for delegates, where they could chat comfortably outside of the formal meeting sessions. In keeping with the summit's recyclable remit, ‘agora22’ was comprised almost entirely of reusable particle board, down to the tables and chairs, all of which will be dismantled and reassembled for future projects.
The firm used locally-sourced materials to reflect COP22’s focus on sustainable development
The waterproof canopy provided a communal space that ran through the temporary village
The architects were inspired by traditional Moroccan post-harvest festivals
The gateway to the summit was built of interlocking timber in the shape of a traditional Moroccan arch
The tent-like structure covered 12,400 sq m of space
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the COP22 website
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
Hermitage Mews is a net-zero family of homes in London’s Crystal Palace
Hermitage Mews by Gbolade Design Studio is a sustainable residential complex in south London's Crystal Palace, conceived to be green and contextual
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Sustainable architecture: 43 innovative and inspiring building designs
This is sustainable architecture at its best: from amazing abodes to centres of care and hard-working offices, these buildings not only look good but also do good
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Slot House sets a high bar for sustainable architecture in Utah
Slot House, an energy-efficient mountain retreat in Utah, by local practice Klima Architecture, sets the bar high
By Eva Hagberg Published
-
Spruce house offers a minimalist take on sustainable architecture
Spruce House, London practice Ao-ft’s debut project, is a carefully crafted timber house that perfectly slots into its urban landscape
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Material Cultures workshops support shift towards sustainable building practices
Material Cultures workshops explore new approaches to promote sustainability in the construction industry
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
London's Exchange House gets a sustainable revamp
London's iconic Exchange House in Broadgate has been transformed for the 21st century by Piercy&Company
By Nana Ama Owusu-Ansah Published
-
Is ProxyAddress architecture’s answer to solving homelessness?
ProxyAddress founder Chris Hildrey talks to us about architecture changing the world, and his pioneering initiative to help solve homelessness
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Vinu Daniel on the glory of garbage in architecture and Chuzhi House
With an ethos of reuse and local sourcing, architect Vinu Daniel of Wallmakers is rewriting the rulebook for sustainable architecture and wins Best Earth Builder at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar Published