Architecture: Municipality of Baghdad

In the 1970's, the Municipality of Baghdad embarked on an extensive upgrading and renewal scheme for the city, including several new housing developments. In December 1980 Planar, a Baghdad based planning and architectural firm, and Skaarup & Jespersen (Copenhagen) were commissioned to submit a conceptual layout ford 3km long site on the Tigris river, in central Baghdad.
The project was to be essentially residential, in the form of low-rise and high standing town houses designed to replace dilapidated areas. At this initial stage, the would-be users were not identified, although the brief required dwelling units of different sizes, which would attract high-income families. Most of the present occupants are senior presidential palace staff.
The general layout had to allow for long stretches of new development, interspersed with some existing structures of architectural and historical value. The scheme involves low rise, medium to high density urban housing based on terraced units.