The new state of South Sudan, on its path to establishing a strong, viable economy, has embarked on the job of establishing a new Central Bank. It organized a competition for the construction of a bank headquarters on a large site in its capital city of Juba. The project consists of a design for the main offices of the Central Bank and an accompanying club house.

The designated site in Juba was a complex site. The site topography was ever changing; undulating and soil types differed throughout the site. Water streams and intense vegetation also covered a large area of the site. Hayder A. Ali Architects' concept was based upon the hope of stability and continuity in the new nation. We believed that the design of the building should work to inspire the nation’s citizens and reassure them of the strength of their economy.

To this end a solid, sturdy aesthetic was adopted and local red clay bricks employed as an outside skin for the building. The main building block was split diagonally and hollowed out to create an interior courtyard to serve as a public space for all the bank employees during their work hours. The building envelope facing the courtyard was built with glass curtain walls to emphasize the bank’s ethos of transparency and responsibility.