Golf club designed to mimic the desert's landscape

A golf club located in Aqaba, Jordan is designed to mimic the external desert landscape.

The building will be made out of concrete and its curved shape will evoke the sand dunes of the desert. The design belongs to Oppenheim Architecture, an architectural practice founded by Chad Oppenheim in 1999. The designers reported that they were inspired by Bedouin tents. 

"Ayla Clubhouse takes inspiration from the natural dunescapes and mountains of the surrounding desert as well as the architectural heritage of the ancient Bedouin. The distinct architectural form Ayla Clubhouse establishes a unique connection with nature by capturing the elemental, vibrant beauty of the rolling desert landscape," the club house's officials stated. “Ayla Golf Academy and Resort isn’t a highly polished project—we wanted soul and character,” Oppenheim added.

The project will be constructed in the Ayla Oasis and will be part of a 44-km² area of infrastructure development in the city of Aqaba. The new structures will include residential buildings, stores and a hotel. 

The 18-hole golf club will be the main feature of the development project. It will also include commercial stores, restaurants, lounge areas and a spa.

The curved areas will be formed with the usage of shotcrete, which is sprayed concrete that is ejected at a high velocity on a surface. The structure will not acquire walls and ceilings but the space will be defined by wavy shells. “We wanted human-made dunes to occupy the space. It’s a simple, elemental building. The structure defines the volume and shape—everything becomes one,” Oppenheim stated.

Sources:Architecturaldigest.com, Designboom.com, Dezeen.com