Dkhoun by Al Arabia

Dkhoun is Al Arabia’s landmark digital advertising product that integrates public art, contemporary design, and digital media. Designed by Zaha Hadid Design, the sculptural outer shell is inspired by rich and fragrant burned incense smoke. The sculpture integrates two screens; an LED screen on one side facing vehicles and an LCD screen on the other side enabling interaction with pedestrians.

Our structural engineers worked on the design of the unique sculptural outer monocoque shell made of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) Ductal®, provided by Il Cantiere. The UHPC shell was designed with variable thickness to minimise the weight. The interior space had to consider LED and LCD screen components and associated A/C and ventilation systems, designed and supplied by Trueform. Our lighting design team developed the design for architectural lighting which is integrated into the base.

Rasti Bartek, Partner, commented: “We really enjoyed working on the design of this product from the inception phase all the way to working with the client and contractors. Together with contractors we also developed the formwork for UHPC casting, verified structural performance during fabrication stages and derived a transport and installation strategy. It was fantastic to collaborate with Zaha Hadid Design, Il Cantiere, and Trueform who all are passionate about design and their work.”