It is a popular and pleasant complex specifically designed for visitors from all over the world, with the local climate, materials and building skills influencing the design. Special emphasis has been placed on natural lighting and ventilation in the building, as renewable energy sources were to be used.

From the outset, the plan for the building was to limit the use of concrete and steel, but this was easier said than done, for in a compression structure the construction of arches, vaults and domes is necessitated.

Prefabricated ferrocement elements were used for all doors and overhangs, thereby doing away with the use of wood. A 4-metre grid using load-bearing pillars and arched or corbelled openings was made with stabilised compressed earth blocks to reduce costs. Solar, wind and biomass energy, water management and recycling techniques, mud and ferrocement technology, and reclamation and afforestation were all integrated in the process, Stabilised earth blocks for domes and prefabricated ferrocement channels were considered as the best solution for roofing. It was felt the resulting sequence of arcaded and semi-covered spaces would give a clear sense of direction to people, while at the same time demonstrating and promoting the rich potential of alternative technologies in its construction, with particular emphasis on the use of mud as a building material.