Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center

Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center

The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center is an exquisite project that seamlessly repurposed three buildings in downtown Washington, DC to become a scholastic center for Omani culture. The exterior responds to the styling of the historic district while the interior emulates Omani architecture. The design also effectively captures traditional Omani symbolism and combines it with striking modern finishes. Examples of the tradition characteristics in the design include the use of wood lattice finishes, triple point arches and the primary snow white color scheme. The incorporation of contemporary glass work, industrial-produced finishes, and simplistic “form follows function” layout adds to the modern feel and compliments the traditional architecture effortlessly. The building helps achieve the Sultanate of Oman’s goal of education the peoples of the United States and Oman about the breadth and richness of our two cultures, promoting mutual respect and understanding between our nations.