07 / Architecture
Alkarma Highway
Service Station
A commercial service station along a major highway in Alkarma, providing fuel, food, and rest facilities for travelers. The design creates a welcoming landmark that breaks the monotony of highway travel. Functional zoning separates quick-stop and longer-stay areas for efficient customer flow.
Designing a facility that serves both quick highway stops and longer rest periods while maintaining safety and efficiency. The station needed to be visible and inviting from the highway.
A bold canopy structure creates a highway landmark visible from a distance. Clear zoning separates fuel, food, and rest areas, with generous canopy coverage protecting customers from the harsh climate.
Designed in collaboration with Dar Engineering Consultancy, this comprehensive highway service station on the Alkarma–Baghdad Road is conceived as a cohesive architectural family. Every structure across the site is single-storey, utilizing a climate-aware material palette of cream limestone and white lime render, complemented by deep, shaded arcades and irrigated date palm landscaping suited for the Anbar desert climate. The site is meticulously planned with clear traffic logic, featuring separate entry and exit points, dedicated lorry parking angled away from standard car bays, and a unifying pedestrian walkway system.
The complex is anchored by a prominent Masjid, featuring a 20 × 18 m prayer hall, an 8 m internal dome, and a 27 m minaret, with walnut-door entryways and dedicated ablution blocks. Echoing the Masjid's traditional arches in a lighter, contemporary manner, the commercial zone includes a restaurant, management offices, and an arcaded retail block. These contemporary buildings integrate timber-lined soffits, dark bronze shopfronts, and mashrabiya-style lattice panels, tying the entire service station together into a highly functional, culturally resonant roadside landmark.