In 2010, CMA won a design review and management contract for the King Abdullah II House of Culture & Arts opera house project in Jordan. The design was won by Zaha Hadid Architects through an international competition mandated by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan. 

CMA competed and won against 10 other large international companies for the design review and management contract.

The King Abdallah II House of Culture and Arts in Jordan was a highly challenging project from a design review and management perspective.

Opera house designs are one of the most complex design projects, where theater design, stage equipment, acoustics, lighting, performer and audience experiences must come together coherently. Zaha Hadid Architects’ ambitious design concept further increased the challenges in cost management and facade engineering.

The project required deep collaboration between dozens of companies around the world. Zaha Hadid Architects engaged its own subconsultants across several continents, and CMA also engaged its own subconsultants across several continents. Design review workshops, budget and schedule control required careful planning to ensure all stakeholders were well-informed. Regular design review workshops in Jordan facilitated further collaboration.

The $112 million construction cost was perhaps too high for Jordan's budget, so construction never began, although we closely managed and collaborated with Zaha Hadid Architects and their subconsultants throughout the design phase and managed to bring the cost down to $90 million through value engineering.