(1975) BCCI Head Quarters

client : BCCI
typology : Commercial
services : Architecture
where : Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Retrospective 1971-1980 video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPIgErYDe31/

BCCI Abu Dhabi Headquarters – Proposal

Conceived as a bold statement of corporate modernity, this proposal for the BCCI Headquarters in Abu Dhabi occupies a prime 2,000 sqm site, delivering a total built-up area of 38,000 sqm. The design is anchored by a striking cantilevered glass tower that rises elegantly above a solid travertine-clad podium, creating a powerful dialogue between transparency and permanence.

The tower’s reflective curtain wall captures the changing desert sky, while its taut vertical lines convey precision and authority — qualities befitting an international financial institution. The podium, finished in warm, honed travertine, houses key public and executive functions, with landscaped terraces and integrated greenery softening the building’s urban edge.

The composition’s defining gesture is its elevated massing, supported by robust structural piers, allowing for a dramatic open space at ground level that enhances street permeability and presence. Surrounding palm trees, manicured planting, and water features contribute to a civic atmosphere, while the refined detailing and balanced proportions reflect the ambitions of Abu Dhabi in the late 20th century — confident, international, and forward-looking.