Aiwan-e-Iqbal Complex Government of Pakistan
Aiwan-e-Iqbal complex:
The complex, with a total covered area of 338,912 square feet, stands on a large plot of land measuring approximately 42 kanals.
The six major components of the complex comprise a Conference Center, an administrative Block (building-1), Building-2, and building-3, apart from a two-storey underground car park at the near and a detached Service block on one side. The salient features of the various components of the complex broadly are as under.
Conference Center:
It consists mainly of a Conference Hall for 740 persons. A gallery for 310 persons, Committee rooms, Delegate offices, rooms for TV, Radio and Press. There is also a spacious dinning hall for seating 250 guests. The hall can be used as a function hall also when so required. In addition, wide foyers and lounges exist at different levels around the hall. A gallery depicting Iqbal’s poems for children has also been created. Portraits of Quaid-e-Azam, Allama Iqbal and his prominent contemporaries together with those of great Muslim scholars and thinkers decorate the walls of corridors.
The interior of the conference hall has been so designed as to express through the language of decor an impression of rich cultural identity of the country. The main stay of the design is usage of masterly craft of calligraphy and NAQSHKARI (floral fresco- type work) now done only by a few living old masters. The idiom of forms enriched by local craft is intended to produce contemporary Islamic ambience in harmony with the teachings of Allama Iqbal. Consistent with the requirement of a monumental building, a sense of grandeur has been created by the schematic use of space, colors, texture and specially designed furniture.
Area: 82000 square feet.
Building-1:
It consists of rooms for administrative offices for Aiwan-e-Iqbal. Accountancy Outsourcing Services (AOS) has been placed on the top floor while provision for restaurant/exhibition Foyer has been made at a lower level. Ground, 1st and 2nd floors consist of NUML Lahore campus.
Area: 42972 square feet.
Building-2:
It consists of different offices like Accountancy Outsourcing Services (AOS), ADAMSOFT (Pvt) Ltd, Small Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA), Huawei Integrated Solutions (Pvt) Ltd and Technology Business Outsource Services (TBOS).
A beautiful mosque for nearly 300 persons is located at the lower ground floor. A special feature of the mosque is the display of ninety nine attributes of ALLAH reproduced by a calligraphist of the international renown.
Area: 37452 square feet
Building-3:
It also consists of Offices of Accountancy Outsourcing Services (AOS), Small Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA), National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Faisal Bank Limited and Huawei Integrated Solutions (Pvt) Ltd.
Area: 50324 square feet
Underground Parking:
A double storied underground car parking has been constructed towards the rear of the complex for parking 150 cars and 250 motorcycles. In addition, surface parking facility for 80 cars and 150 motorcycles/cycles is also available
Area: 74112 square feet
Service Block:
A detached single storied service block has been constructed by the side of conference centre to house services and maintenance offices and sewerage pumping station.
Area: 4100 square feet
Landscaping:
For landscaping the complex, a judicious mix of soft and hard landscaping has been used. Relying on traditional elements, like waterfalls, fountains, flower troughs and grassy lawns. A striking feature of the landscaping pattern is a sunken garden with the large fountain in the centre acting as a focal point for the rear of the three high-rise blocks. A pair of two waterfall marks the entrance to the blocks from the back.
Almost 75% of the site has been landscaped and the only 25% utilized for building.
Principal Functions of Aiwan-e-Iqbal
Aiwan-e-Iqbal complex has been created to propagate the teaching of Allama Iqbal, to promote study, research and scholarship of his thoughts and to work the revival of the spirit of IJTEHAD as advocated by him.
In the conference centre, the country has obtained a fully equipped and ideally situated venue suitable for holding large national and international meetings.