Kuwait Military School Complex, Kuwait

Cannon Design, in association with KEO Consultants, won an international design competition sponsored by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense for the Kuwait Military School, the country’s primary training complex. The 1.3 million sf complex accommodates training programs for 4,000 recruits in seven schools each concentrating on a specialty program and supported by open training grounds and parade areas. Complementing the training schools are sports facilities, a command building complex, a central mosque, Cultural Center and ancillary supply facilities. The complex is organized around a series of axes and rotated squares, reminiscent of traditional Kuwaiti patterned tiles and representative of order, discipline and teamwork, the three fundamentals of the training mission. The architectural imagery responds to the history and climate of the region with overhanging roof “sails” and deeply recessed windows that mitigate the harsh sun. The building forms and perimeter security wall recall the “sour” of Kuwait, an ancient mud wall built around the country for protection. Central to the design is the positioning of the mosque, the focus of all Islamic life, as the nucleus of the complex.