In 1973, Egyptian architect Kamal El Kafrawi was commissioned by UNESCO to design Qatar University’s campus. Since its inauguration in 1985 it has become an emblem of Qatar’s modernity through an iconic design that blends traditional Arabian architecture with contemporary techniques. The entire campus was built with precast cladding and low-rise modules, creating a complex grid of octagons which was shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in its 1989 cycle. El Kafrawi’s design employ