In the extreme density of the Medina, buildings breathe through their tall central courtyards. Domestic life revolves around these ‘inverted towers’ with an upward transition from shared spaces to more private, hidden ones. Openings in the internal facades regulate light and sight lines. Proximity favors the communal. Intimacy – as well as shadow – has to be conquered.
The project substitutes an existing dar with the same footprint, whose precarious structural conditions led to demolition. The new plan keeps the position and dimensions of the former courtyard as the main structuring void, while increasing its height and reorganizing the vertical progression.
Building in the Medina is a rather unique experience. A building permit is obtained by submitting a single drawing: the position of the entrance on the facade facing the street, which is otherwise a blind wall. All other design issues are negotiated—formally and informally—with the contractor, officials, and neighbors throughout the construction process. Materials are delivered by donkey. Wooden beams pile up in the courtyard to form scaffolding. Temperatures are often unbearable and, together with Ramadan, dictate timelines. Local craftsmanship manages to execute perfectly measured hand-made wall decoration, while sometimes failing windows alignments. Misunderstanding and surprises connect aspirations to reality. A 7sqm rooftop swimming pool raises technical, cultural, decency issues.
The earthquake that struck Morocco in September 2023 brought construction work to a halt just as the building’s shell was nearing completion. The structure itself was not damaged, but work on the site was suspended for an extended period, as priority was given to restoring infrastructures. Following the city’s administrative reorganization, the building’s previously approved height was reduced by half a floor, resulting in the loss of one room and a vague sense of unfinished at the rooftop level.
[année] 2023-2026
[programme] Construction d'un Dar dans la Médina de Marrackech
[maître d’ouvrage] Privé
[ville] Marrakech (MA)
[surface] 100 m²
[budget] -
[mission] Complète
[associé] Salottobuono
[équipe] Eugenio Nuzzo, Bojana Popovic
[photographie] Giaime Meloni