The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre (JACC), informally known as the Kuwait Opera House , is a cultural center in Kuwait , located on the Gulf Road in the capital Kuwait City . It is the largest cultural center and opera house in the Middle East . The cultural centre is part of the Kuwait National Cultural District .
7-459: The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre is a multidisciplinary public space owned by the Amiri Diwan . It offers a range of events in music, theatre, film, workshops and spoken word. The cultural complex, which includes theatres, concert halls, music centres, conference and exhibition halls, cinemas, libraries, center for historical documents , and public park, took two years to complete. It
14-476: A decision was taken to build a palace overlooking the sea (al seif). It therefore became known as Seif Palace . Since then, Kuwait's rulers have developed and expanded the original palace. Sheikh Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah was the first to renew the building in 1917. On its main gate, the words: “If it lasted for others it wouldn’t have passed to you” are inscribed. Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah also carried out major alterations and additions in 1961, and by
21-399: Is 214,000 m² in size and had a budget of US$ 775 million. The cultural centre contains four buildings, which are organized around entrance courtyards off a civic plaza. The design was inspired by Islamic architectural tradition. These are two dimensional patterns, which are transformed three dimensionally to create spaces below a complex geometric form. The buildings sit independently below
28-632: Is wrapped in a rainscreen weathertight envelope, with glazed areas supported by secondary steel, deck and insulation. This ‘inline’ surface is then protected with a series of titanium composite panels. The buildings beneath are largely constructed of concrete and include a large excavated basement level connected with a series of services tunnels and MEP areas. The buildings are independently circulated with stairs and lifts and walkways, with public level access in most cases being ground level upwards. Amiri Diwan The Amiri Diwan of Kuwait ( Arabic : الديوان الأميري في الكويت Al-Diwan Al-Amiri) serves as
35-464: The "jewel" which houses the functional requirements of the building. The buildings are linked by a linear landscaped podium to the back of the buildings where the car parks and service areas are situated below ground. Visitors move from the car park via lifts and travelators to the courtyard access points at ground level. The four buildings consist of full span steel envelopes which cover a series of independent concrete buildings. This primary steel grid
42-518: The end of the following year, it was named "Al-Diwan Al-Amiri". During Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah 's reign, the Amiri Diwan was headed by Sheikh Khaled Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber who continued in this role until 1990. When Kuwait was liberated from the Iraqi invasion of 1990, Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah took over as Minister of the Amiri Diwan on September 10, 1991. His successor and
49-501: The royal court of the Emir of Kuwait . Due to Kuwait 's unique geographical position, it has been a major trading centre. This was especially evident during the reign of Sheikh Mubarak Al Sabah who ruled the country from 1896 to 1915. During this time, many delegations and merchants came to Kuwait to conduct business. Thus, the need for a palace that would be the reigning monarch's headquarters and government office became acute. In 1904,
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