The Oval comprises 16,000 m2 of office and retail space arranged over nine levels around a central skylight atrium. Due to defined private/public vertical circulation routes, office users are not compromised by retail users. Office floors are served by six panorama lifts and skybridges span the atrium upper levels, adding to the dramatic, naturally lit and ventilated space. The atrium enables "stack-effect" ventilation through the centre of the building, drawing air through the offices to provide cross-ventilation throughout. This, combined with Nairobi’s high-altitude equatorial climate, and an east-west orientation for solar control, ensures a comfortable environment. The form draws one’s eye to the sky both internally, through its central atrium, and externally with the tapered elliptical form.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
