AMMAN — Beit Al Fann is an authentic Ammani architectural
edifice and a witness of the social, cultural, and political timeline of the
city.
The Jordanian house of art, locally known as “Beit Al-Fann”,
has travelled a long way before reaching its current form. The house was once
owned by Ahed Al-Sukhun, the first Jordanian to hold the position of commander
of the Jordanian Desert Force. He lived in the house between 1934 and 1938.
اضافة اعلان
Located in Downtown
Amman on Prince Muhammad Street, which
is the city’s most vibrant street and one of its oldest; having existed back
when Amman consisted of only a few houses. Prince Muhammad Street was among the
capital’s first commercial areas and a commercial valley between residential
hills.
Designed by the architect, Fawwaz Al-Muhanna, the first
engineer to work for the Greater Amman Municipality, the two story building was
built in two separate stages. The construction work on the ground floor started
in 1923 and lasted for three years. The first floor was later built in 1937.
A year after construction was complete, Sukhun moved to Maan
and decided to rent out the building to the
Ministry of Education. Beit Al-Fann
was then transformed into Al-Zahraa School for girls, which opened its doors in
1938 and closed them in 1995.
In 1995, the Greater Amman Municipality purchased and renovated
the house until 2002, when the house was opened to the public as “The Jordanian
House of Art”, a museum for art and theater that spotlights authentic Jordanian
heritage.
Although can be accessed from Downtown Amman, the building
is elevated one of the Jabal Amman neighborhood’s slopes, offering residents
and passers by a view the valley, and
the opposing neighborhood, Jabal Luweibdeh.
The 402-square-meter house was built on 1269 square meters
of land. Rather than following the street line, the building’s geometrical plan
was dynamically oriented towards a different angle in order to allow more space
for the welcoming entrance and the land plot’s landscape. The garden plays a
significant role in the soul of the space.
Leading from the main street to the platform of the house,
two opposing spiral staircases decorate the entrance of the building. This
stylistic element was widely used in Levantine architecture at that time. The
main elevation showcases unique rounded arches inspired by Mediterranean
architecture, laying on modest columns. The entrance block protrudes, giving
the first floor an unusual looking balcony with a mesmerizing view of the
opposing hill.
The openings in the stone building’s doors and windows are
tall, which makes them proportionate to the height of the building. They are
not identical on both stories, but are still create an authentic dynamism.
The house is also a model of diversity when it comes to the
materials of construction. Some of the building’s stones was brought all the
way from Palestine while others were brought from areas near Amman. The tiles
that make up the interior space of the building differ from one room to another
in pattern and color, but are covered with the same rug style that was very
popular in Levantine countries at the time of construction.
The building’s most notable attribute is the unique
relationship it creates between its greenery and built structure, through which
the landscape feels neither imposed nor artificial, but rather part of a
harmonious spatial identity.
Currently, the building is undergoing renovation in order to
maintain its condition. It represents a strong example among many others that
helped to shape the architectural identity of Amman and holds historical,
artistic and cultural value. Government support for the building and others has
helped preserve the tangible and intangible elements of the city’s history.
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