Qalawun VR Project

The logo design of the Qalawun VR Project is inspired by a set of small windows in an iwan facing the hospital courtyard.

This design, consisting of four circular and two arch-shaped windows, is found only here in the Qalawun complex. We can see the exquisitely detailed stucco decoration carved into the arch surrounding the five small windows. Most of the decoration consists of botanical motifs, but the arch-shaped windows and the circular window at the top are adorned with calligraphic patterns. What phrases are carved? Let’s have a look at them close-up!

If you are learning Arabic, try to decipher the calligraphy. The answers are in the last part of this article. This complex has other decorative carvings with calligraphic patterns in various spaces. Please try to find them during the VR tour.

Now, let’s go back to the main topic. When we planned the logo design, I received various ideas and images from project members and the logo designer, and the idea of adopting “window” as a motif gradually appealed to me. This is because windows not only serve to connect different spaces, such as doors, but also frame and embellish the world beyond them. I thought the VR tour of this project would serve not only as a space to enjoy the panoramic views but also as a window through which visitors could experience space.

The image of the façade came to mind as soon as we decided to use windows as the motif.

The façade window features a pointed arch surrounding a pair of semicircular arches and a circular window above them. This window, recalling medieval Gothic church architecture, is double-layered, with perforated stucco on the exterior and stained glass on the interior.

The following photo shows the façade seen from the interior. The windows are located on the qibla wall of the madrasa’s prayer hall. To examine the windows more closely, let me show the other windows in the room.

Did you notice a difference between the windows seen from outside and those seen from inside? You may have noticed the stucco decorations and stained glass that enhance the windows’ brilliance. How about the shape of the windows? You may have realized that the double arches formed a semicircle from the outside but a horseshoe shape from the inside. The shape of a window varies depending on where you see it.

The motif of our logo design was almost finalized. However, we ultimately finalized it by adopting the hospital’s window design after various twists and turns. This is because the Qalawun Complex was planned primarily as a hospital. In addition, it is said that Qalawun had no intention to include a madrasa in the complex. It is historically said that Sanjar Alshjawi, the emir in charge of its construction, had included the madrasa without his approval, which reportedly angered Qalawun so much that he refused to enter it on his first visit to the complex. Given this episode, we decided to seek another motif in the hospital, considering Qalawun’s will, and ultimately chose the windows as the logo’s motif.

While designing the logo, the explanation, namely, how to draw this set of windows, which was given by Dr. Fukami, showed us that this design of the windows was well calculated, while it seems very simple.

Through these procedures, our logo design was finalized. The complexity of the process has made us feel deeply attached to it. We hope you will enjoy exploring this set of windows during our VR panorama tour.