Landmark 07 / 10
Al-Mustansiriya School
Engineering story
A three-level hierarchy of space
Why it matters
A great central courtyard for communal exchange, shaded arcades for transition, enclosed rooms for focused study. Light openings are oriented and sized to give enough light to read without glare, and the muqarnas solve the move from square to circle while spreading the light.
In the documentary series18. Abbasid PeriodBaghdad and Samarra, capitals of the world