Architecture in the Middle East Dr. Yasser Mahgoub
The Middle East: Presumptions and Preconceptions
Questions ? What is the Middle East?
(geography, history, economy, politics, society, culture, … )
What is the state of architecture in the Middle East? What are the forces that influenced and are influencing architecture in the Middle East? (economy, globalization, politics, identity, …)
Who were and are its important architects in the Middle East? What is the impact of globalization on the future architecture in the Middle East?
Themes
Ethnic vs. Religion vs. Geography vs. History vs. … Traditional vs. Contemporary Global Regional City Urban Architecture Globalization vs. Localization Global + Local = “Glocal”! Colonialism vs. Independence Identity: Individuality vs. Collectivity Imitation vs. Authentication Formal vs. Informal
Books ► Planning
Middle Eastern Cities: An Urban Kaledioscope in a Globalizing World ► Editor - Yasser Elsheshtawy ► Publisher: Routledge (10/30/2004)
► The
Evolving Arab City: Tradition, Modernity and Urban Development ► Editor - Yasser Elsheshtawy ► Publisher: Routledge (27/05/2008)
Books ► Contemporary
Architecture in the Arab States: Renaissance of a Region ► by Udo Kultermann ► Publisher: McGraw-Hill 1999
► Al
Manakh ► by Rem Koolhaas (Editor), Ole Bouman (Editor), Mark Wigley (Editor) ► Publisher: Columbia University GSAPP / Archis (September 1, 2007)
Definitions The Middle East North
Definitions The Middle East â–ş The
Middle East is a subcontinent with no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East.
Definitions The Middle East â–ş
The term "Middle East" was popularized around 1900 in the United Kingdom; it has a loose definition traditionally encompassing countries or regions in Western Asia and parts of North Africa.
UK
North America
Europe Asia Near East Middle East North Africa
India
Far East
South East Asia Africa
South America
Definitions The Middle East Far East
Near East
Middle East
Definitions The Middle East Europe Persian Plateau Iraq The Levant North Africa Arabian Peninsula
Sub-Saharan Africa Horn of Africa
The Middle East Geography - Territories and regions 1.
North: Turkey, Lebanon, Syria,
2.
East: Persian Plateau - Iran,
Jordan, Palestinian Authority and Israel
Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan 3.
South: Arabian Peninsula -
4.
West: North Africa - Algeria,
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, U.A.E., Oman, Yemen and Bahrain
Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia
Definitions The Middle East North
Definitions The Middle East North
Middle
Definitions The Middle East
Definitions The Middle East
Definitions The Middle East
Muslim Expansion until A.D. 661
Definitions The Middle East
The Umayyad Empire A.D.750
Definitions The Middle East
The Late Abbasid Caliphate A.D.900
Definitions The Middle East
Almoravid, Saldjuk, and Ghaznavid Expansion A.D. 1100
Definitions The Middle East
The Muslim World A.D. 1300
Definitions The Middle East
The Muslim World A.D. 1500
Definitions The Middle East
Confllict Oil Straits Traffic
The Middle East
The Middle East
Definitions The Middle East
Confllict Oil Straits Traffic Unrest
The Middle East Geography
The Middle East History
The Middle East Traditional Architecture
The Middle East Contemporary
Architecture in the Middle East
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Architecture in the Middle East
Beirut, Lebanon
Architecture in the Middle East
Tehran, Iran
Architecture in the Middle East
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Architecture in the Middle East
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Architecture in the Middle East
Cairo, Egypt
Architecture in the Middle East
Dubai, UAE
Architecture in the Middle East
Abu Dhabu, UAE
Architecture in the Middle East
Kuwait
The Middle East – 2007 Statistics Country
Area (km²)
Population Density (per km²)
Iran Iraq
1,648,195 437,072
71,208,000 24,001,816
42 55
Arabian Peninsula: Kuwait Bahrain Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia
17,820 665 212,460 11,437 1,960,582
3,100,000 656,397 3,200,000 793,341 23,513,330
119 987 13 69 12
82,880 527,970
4,496,000 18,701,257
30 35
20,770 92,300 10,452 185,180
7,029,529 5,307,470 3,677,780 17,155,814
290 58 354 93
2,381,740 1,001,449 1,759,540 446,550 163,610
33,333,216 77,498,000 6,036,914 33,757,175 10,102,000
14 74 3 70 62
23,200 117,600 637,661 2,505,813
496,374 4,298,270 9,588,666 39,379,358
34 37 13 14
360 58,602
1,376,289 25,000,003
3,823 4322,3
Capital
GDP (Total)
Per capita
Tehran Baghdad
$753 billion (2007) $102.3 billion (2007)
$10,600 (2007) $3,600 (2007)
Persian Plateau:
United Arab Emirates Yemen The Levant: Israel Jordan Lebanon Syria North Africa: Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia Horn of Africa: Djibouti Eritrea Somalia Sudan Autonomous region: Palestine: Gaza Strip West Bank
Kuwait City $130.1 billion (2007) Manama $24.5 billion (2007) Muscat $61.6 billion (2007) Doha $57.7 billion (2007) Riyadh $564.6 billion (2007)
$39,300 $32,100 $24,000 $80,900 $23,200
Abu Dhabi Sanaá
$167.3 billion (2007) $52 billion (2007)
$37,300 (2007) $2,300 (2007)
Jerusalem1 $185.9 billion (2007) Amman $28 billion (2007) Beirut $42.3 billion (2007) Damascus $87 billion (2007)
$25,800 (2007) $4,900 (2007) $11,300 (2007) $4,500 (2007)
Algiers Cairo Tripoli Rabat Tunis
$224.7 billion (2007) $404 billion (2007) $74.8 billion (2007) $125.3 billion (2007) $77 billion (2007)
Djibouti $1.641 billion Asmara $4.471 billion Mogadishu $5.26 billion Khartoum $107.8 billion (2007)
Gaza Ramallah
$5 billion (includes West Bank) (2006)
(2007) (2007) (2007) (2007) (2007)
$6,500 (2007) $5,500 (2007) $12,300 (2007) $4,100 (2007) $7,500 (2007) $2,070 $1,000 $600 $2,552 (2007)
$1,100 (includes West Bank) (2006)
West Bank
Gaza Strip
Sudan
Somalia
Eritrea
Djibouti
Tunisia
Morocco
Libya
Egypt
Algeria
Syria
Lebanon
Jordan
Israel
Yemen
United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
Iraq
Iran
The Middle East - Statistics Area (km²)
2,800,000
2,600,000
2,400,000
2,200,000
2,000,000
1,800,000
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
West Bank
Gaza Strip
Sudan
Somalia
Eritrea
Djibouti
Tunisia
Morocco
Libya
Egypt
Algeria
Syria
Lebanon
Jordan
Israel
Yemen
United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
Iraq
Iran
The Middle East - Statistics Population
90,000,000
80,000,000
70,000,000
60,000,000
50,000,000
40,000,000
30,000,000
20,000,000
10,000,000
0
West Bank
Gaza Strip
Sudan
Somalia
Eritrea
Djibouti
Tunisia
Morocco
Libya
Egypt
Algeria
Syria
Lebanon
Jordan
Israel
Yemen
United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
Iraq
Iran
The Middle East - Statistics Density (per km²)
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Gaza Strip & West Bank
Sudan
Somalia
Eritrea
Djibouti
Tunisia
Morocco
Libya
Egypt
Algeria
Syria
Lebanon
Jordan
Israel
Yemen
United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
Iraq
Iran
The Middle East - Statistics GDP 2007 Billion $
$800
$700
$600
$500
$400
$300
$200
$100
$0
Gaza Strip & West Bank
Sudan
Somalia
Eritrea
Djibouti
Tunisia
Morocco
Libya
Egypt
Algeria
Syria
Lebanon
Jordan
Israel
Yemen
United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
Iraq
Iran
The Middle East - Statistics Per capita (2007)
$90,000
$80,000
$70,000
$60,000
$50,000
$40,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
$0
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it West vs. East, Global vs. Local, Non-Muslim vs. Muslim, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it Foreigner vs. Native, Modernity vs. Traditional, English vs. Arabic, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it Foreigner vs. Native, Modernity vs. Traditional, English vs. Arabic, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it Foreigner vs. Native, Modernity vs. Traditional, English vs. Arabic, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it Foreigner vs. Native, Modernity vs. Traditional, English vs. Arabic, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it West vs. East, Global vs. Local, Non-Muslim vs. Muslim, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it West vs. East, Global vs. Local, Non-Muslim vs. Muslim, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it West vs. East, Global vs. Local, Non-Muslim vs. Muslim, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it West vs. East, Global vs. Local, Non-Muslim vs. Muslim, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it Foreigner vs. Native, Modernity vs. Traditional, English vs. Arabic, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Is it Foreigner vs. Native, Modernity vs. Traditional, English vs. Arabic, ‌ or what?
The Middle East Contemporary Culture
Dubai is “SOLD”!
The city as a “text”. ►
“Meanings and symbols are ascribed to the physical environment, and it becomes a ‘representation’, an ‘imagined environment’ construed from the particular vantage point of each observer.” (Donald, 1996) Ross Von Rosenberg - I am The City
Fast Food ďƒ Instant History
Merry Fuhrer - Fast Food
Fast Food Instant History ►
►
This trend is exacerbated and amplified through the current universalization (or globalization) discourse. Traditional readings of the ME city: Isolated entity Disconnected from developments occurring elsewhere in the ‘civilized’ world. Heritage Tradition Culture Divorced from the surrounding reality. The “ISLAMIC” perspective.
The “ISLAMIC” perspective. ►
► ►
►
Framework through which the “Moslem” city emerged and developed. Religious text. 1980’s and 1990’s conferences legitimized this approach. The revival of the “Arab” city “glory” by tying it to its cultural/religious roots.
Orientalism â–ş
â–ş
Edward Said makes the claim that the whole of Western European and American scholarship, literature, and cultural representation and stereotype creates and reinforces prejudice against non-Western cultures, putting them in the classification of Oriental (or "Others"). The heart of the matter in understanding Orientalism is this power relationship and how the Occident has used and continues to use and understand the Orient on its own terms.
Edward Said
A comparative perspective ►
Gulf region calls for a comparative perspective both grounding urban settlements within their regional contexts and studying the ‘specificity’ of each – thus moving away from the ‘static ideal type’ of the ‘Islamic city.’
►
There is an emerging body of research which examines Gulf cities from socio-political perspective, showing that the urban forms developed in response to unique contemporary conditions.
The Dual-city ► ► ►
►
The Dual-city construct Traditional settlement and a European one Freezing the image of a society in time and space Maintaining a physical differentiation between the colonizers and the colonized
Globalization ►
Globalization and the Middle East
►
Probably no area in the world resists--at least explicitly--globalization to an extent equaling that of the Islamic Middle East.
►
The majority of regimes, opposition movements, and intellectuals in the region are consciously anti-globalization.
►
How can this extremely important phenomenon be explained?
Globalization ► ►
►
►
Globalization: 1- Globalization refers to the spread throughout the globe of ideas, customs, institutions, and attitudes originated in one part of the world. At present these are usually Western in origin. Thus, it is easy to see globalization as largely equivalent to Westernization. Nationalism comes dramatically into play when certain aspects of Westernization are seen as challenges to a nation's ethos. (Regions like North and South America, Europe and Africa, and even Asia to a lesser extent are more open to Westernization and globalization, in part because they have considerable Western components already.)
Globalization â–ş â–ş
â–ş
Globalization: 2- Much of globalization is related to what historically is called modernization, a set of behaviors and beliefs that challenge traditional society. Thus, Globalization is seen as a major threat to tradition. Where religion is far more traditional in its practice, the defense of religion also conflicts with the acceptance of modernization.
Globalization â–ş â–ş
â–ş
Globalization: 3- The two factors that supposedly make globalization attractive are those of benefits and cultural synthesis. Benefits: If globalization makes life better, raises living standards, strengthens the society, and stabilizes the existing order (or helps
replace it with an order its citizens deem to be better), people will prefer to
accept more globalization.
Globalization â–ş â–ş
Globalization: The concept of cultural synthesis means that the society's existing or traditional ways can be blended with new and foreign ideas to make a stronger hybrid. (The modern history of Japan, for
example, shows how such a synthesis can be constructed.)
Globalization â–ş â–ş
Globalization: The society is also selective in choosing what it wants to accept and reject, with those values or institutions most destructive of tradition being blocked.
Globalization â–ş â–ş
Globalization: Ultimately, then, globalization is accepted if and when it is perceived not as destroying the local society but helping it to survive and flourish in a partly new form.
Globalization ► ►
Globalization 4- Even the most extreme explicit rejection of globalization does not mean that globalization fails to infiltrate into the society. (In Iran, where the Islamic republic has attempted to block many foreign cultural and intellectual influences, it has often not succeeded.)
►
These concepts have been taken up by an opposition enjoying support from a majority of the population. (Leaders of this opposition, notably President
Muhammad Khatami, explicitly speak of the need for cultural synthesis, while suggesting that globalization is a two-way street and the West can also learn from their society.)
Globalization ► ►
►
Arab cities have been part of modernization efforts from the nineteenth century to the present. While being subjected to colonialism, they nevertheless were able to grow, develop and contribute to architecture/urban design. Urban forms, unique to each city were developed, responding to larger ‘global’ issues. Ex. Ebenezer Howard “Garden City” – Cairo, Kuwait French architecture – Tunis
Globalization ►
The exclusive “Islamic” reading of such cities is outdated and counterproductive.
►
Heritage and culture are visual issues, but they should not be the sole, or dominant, factors through which the middle Eastern city is studied and analyzed.
Globalization ►
Existing literature tends to simplify the trends in the ME city by having a very string historical focus. (AlSayyad 1991, Basim Hakim 1986, Jamel Akbar 1988).
►
Some scholars employed a postcolonial framework, examining the impact of colonialism on ‘traditional’ societies, transformations due to national movements, and the construction of identities. (Case studies, specific events, buildings, …)
Globalization ► ►
Janet Abu-Lughod Abu-Lughod was one of the first to criticize the ‘monolithic Islamic city model’, finding great similarities between this model and cities in medieval Europe and arguing that similar economic factors led to specific city forms. (Abu-Lughod, 199)
Janet Abu-Lughod
Globalization Stefano Bianca An attempt to establish a religious basis for the urban form in the Arab world. ► 4 case studies; Mecca, Baghdad, Fez, and Aleppo. ► ►
Globalization â–ş
Establishing a Religious Undercurrent to the Spatial Structure of Arab-Moselm Cities is in fact a recurring theme.
â–ş
The mere notion that the Arab/Moselm could be capable of producing contemporary, modern structures, which do not necessarily have to be reflective of any illusive traditional concepts but are unique responses to contemporary conditions, is nowhere to be found.
Globalization â–ş
Despite disagreement over the Islamic city model, it is undeniable that Islam, as a socio-religious system, has had a significant impact on the morphology of cities where it predominates.�
â–ş
Linking the Religious and the Secular, an attempt to ascribe to a religion some planning guidelines which were never intended to be there in the first place.
Globalization ►
► ► ►
A much more useful model would be to examine contemporary social, political, and economic factors operating at a global level and to understand the extent to which they have shaped the Middle Eastern city. Impact of Capitalism Impact of socialism Impact of Global economy; free flow of goods, people and ideas.
Globalization, Cultural Hybridity and Polarization ►
Globalization, Cultural Hybridity and Polarization End of 20th century and the beginning of 21st century Loss of place Identity and character ► “Cities
throughout the world are becoming shapeless entities with a haunting sameness.”
“Universalization”
Globalization, Cultural Hybridity and Polarization ►
Globalization, Cultural Hybridity and Polarization Western hegemony Edward Said “Orientalism”: Colonial discourse analysis ► “There
is a ‘culture of imperialism’ in which the West is trying to superimpose its values and beliefs on the East.” (Said, 1979)
Jane Jacobs ► “Such
approach led to the creation of a new analytical language in which such constructs as ‘hybridity’, ‘diaspora’, ‘creolization’, ‘transculturation’, etc.” (Jacobs, 1996)
Nezar AlSayyad ► “In
cities throughout the world globalization led to creation of ‘third places’, in between spaces of ‘spatial reconciliation of incommensurable constructions of subcultures.” (AlSayyad, 2001)
Globalization, Cultural Hybridity and Polarization ►
Globalization does not in and of itself lead to loss of identity/heritage. “Globalization does not signal the erasure of difference but a reconstitution and revalidation of place, locality, difference.” (Jacobs, 1996) “The history of the world demonstrates a movement toward cultural differentiation and not homogenization and urbanism will continue to be an area where one can observe the specificity of local cultures and their attempt to mediate global domination.” (AlSayyad, 2001)
New Trends The relevance of the nation-state is questioned. City governments are emerging as the new centers of the ‘new’ global economy. Transactions between multi-national corporations, financial centers, and cities.
New Trends ► New
Trend
Cities are assuming a powerful role. Cities are viewed as a “product” that needs to be marked. Attracting headquarters or regional branches of international companies and staging of ‘megaevents’.
New Trends ► New
Trend
Luxury housing, dining establishments and entertainment amenities to attract professional personnel required to operate these global activities. Urban projects: trade centers, conference centers and hotels to encourage investment and tourism.
New Trends ►
New Trend and Architecture Architecture is used as a “tool” to create ‘eye-catching’ impressions. The Bilbao effect: ► The
Guggenheim museum in Bilbao was used to revitalize a ‘stagnant’ city.
New Trends ►
The “dual-city” Social polarization - Saskia Sassen Due to the presence of these high-profile projects there is an influx of a highly skilled, and paid, workforce. Low-wage employees are needed who form the backbone of corporate and financial activities.
New Trends ►
Geographical/Spatial division Areas with a high concentration of poor labor Enclaves housing the very rich
► ►
Resentment, Social instability and conflict Mega projects don’t necessarily lead to happiness of the cities
New Trends ►
Visible aspect of globalizing cities is the ‘quartering of urban space” Sharper division between rich and poor Distinct residential cities Protected enclaves of the rich
?
New Trends ► ► ►
Gated communities, private, high rise condominiums with heavy security Expensive apartments in favorable locations “Wall some in and keep others out.”
New Trends ►
The Middle Eastern city has strong potential for examining these issues for a variety of reasons: Colonialism in the 18th and 19th century. Strategies at the urban and architectural levels Attempts were made to wipe out the past and “join” the civilized west. (The case of Kuwait master plan) Modernity; History was abandoned in favor of ‘embracing’ a new age. Impact on the spatial structure of many cities in the region. (Kuwait)
New Trends ►
These are strong similarities to the political climate present today. “Colonialization” has been replaced by “Globalization”! Globalization: Free flow of goods, people, and information Domination: political, social and cultural
New Trends ► ►
A paradigm shift A ‘New Architecture’ and ‘Urbanism’ Contemporary advances in information technology Global communications Technological and artistic advances at the beginning of the 21st century revolutionized people’s sense of space and movement.
Do Arabs still exist? ►
Do Arabs still exist? Doom and hopelessness Colonialism Symbols of Arab identity
►
Negative stereotype: Arabs not contributing to science, literature and the arts. Recipients, consumers, and proponents of extremist ideologies.
Do Arabs still exist? â–ş
There is a growing conservatism sweeping the Arab world, even in formerly liberal and cosmopolitan cities.
Do Arabs still exist? ► ►
►
How is this related to cities? Baghdad and Beirut: Sites of struggle and contestation Dubai and Doha: “New Arab Metropolis” by opening up to global capital adapting western models forms and planning models.
Gulfication & Dubaization! ►
►
There is a divide in the region between newly emerging cities and the traditional centers. New centers are influencing and shaping the urban form of “traditional” cities.
Emaar Tunis - Cedar village
The Struggle ►
►
Struggle for modernity: trying to ascertain one’s place in the 21st century. Determining the region’s direction.
Global City Theory
►
Exclusion discussed by:
►
John Friedmann Gotez Wolff Saski Sassen Peter Marcuse
Newtworking: Cities are conceived as lying on a network Level of connectivity Space of flows vs. Space of Places (Manuel Castells)
Global City Theory
Saki Sassen ► Impact of network infrastructure on city form. ► Fragmentary nature of contemporary urban structure. ►
Global City Theory
Marginalized Cities ► Certain cities are offered as a model to which other cities must aspire to if they are to emerge from “off the map” or otherwise be marginalized! ►
Global City
Marginalized City
A New Middle East
►
“A New Middle East”!
Gulf Countries The Middle East Future Architecture
Dubai, UAE The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture
Rem Koolhaas at the exhibition Dubai next
The Middle East Future Architecture
Dubai in 1990
The Middle East Future Architecture
The same street in 2003
The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture
Dubai is said to currently have 15-25% of all the world's cranes.
The Middle East Future Architecture
The Dubai Waterfront. When completed it will become the largest waterfront development in the world.
The Middle East Future Architecture
the future of Dubai's waterfront
The Middle East Future Architecture
The Palm Islands in Dubai. New Dutch dredging technology was used to create these massive man made islands. They are the largest artificial islands in the world and can be seen from space. Three of these Palms will be made with the last one being the largest of them all.
The Middle East Future Architecture
The World Islands. 300 artificially created islands in the shape of the world. Each island will have an estimated cost of $25-30 million.
The Middle East Future Architecture
the future of Dubai's waterfront
The Middle East Future Architecture
the future of Dubai's waterfront
The Middle East Future Architecture
the future of Dubai's waterfront
The Middle East Future Architecture
The ‘Burj Dubai' is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in Dubai. when completed in 2009 it will be the tallest man made structure in the world. It was designed by Adrian Smith who worked with the building's architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill until 2006. On September 12, 2007, it passed Toronto's CN tower to become the world's tallest freestanding structure.
The Middle East Future Architecture
'burj Dubai'
The Middle East Future Architecture
'burj Dubai'
The Middle East Future Architecture
'burj Dubai'
The Middle East Future Architecture
Dubailand. Currently, the largest amusement park collection in the world is Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which is also the largest single-site employer in the United states with 58,000 employees. Dubailand will be twice the size.
The Middle East Future Architecture
Dubailand. Currently, the largest amusement park collection in the world is Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which is also the largest single-site employer in the United states with 58,000 employees. Dubailand will be twice the size.
Dubailand
The Middle East Future Architecture
Zaha Hadid' dancing towers are planned to be located in Dubai's business bay development area. The plan consists of three buildings which rise up from the ground bending and intertwining with each other to create fluid animation of the forms.
Dubai - Zaha Hadid' dancing towers
The Middle East Future Architecture 'opus' is another Dubai building designed by British architect Zaha Hadid. The 235 million GBP development was designed for the business bay for Omniyat properties. It stands at 20 stories located next to the towering burj Dubai. Hadid's concept was to have the building open onto the city, framing the views. It is currently underdevelopment and is planned to be completed by 2010.
Dubai - 'opus' is designed by Zaha Hadid
The Middle East Future Architecture
'Dubai renaissance' was designed by architects Rem Koolhaas and Fernando Donis of OMA for the business bay development competition. Their entry lost to Hadid's dancing towers.
Dubai - 'dubai renaissance' designed by OMA
The Middle East Future Architecture 'Dubai towers' is the centerpiece for the large 'lagoons' development. The buildings and the development were all conceived of by TVS. The four towers range in size from 54 to 97 floors and were inspired by the flames and movement of candlelight.
Dubai - 'dubai towers'
The Middle East Future Architecture The 'Arabian blade' is a mixed-use tower designed by Claudio Catalano. The building was inspired by plant forms and combines several volumes into one unit. It will contain residences, a hotel and commercial space.
Dubai - 'arabian blade'
The Middle East Future Architecture
'Dubai grand pyramid' obviously derives its form from the Egyptian pyramids, with a modern twist. This pyramid will be a multi-use space and will be flanked by two smaller pyramids housing the developer Falconcity's offices and commercial space for a theme park.
Dubai – ‘grand pyramid'
The Middle East Future Architecture Architect David Fisher is the designer of the 'da vinci rotating tower', one of the most innovative an unique buildings to be built in Dubai. The 250 meter tower will allow each floor to rotate freely allowing the building to shift its shape. In between each floor horizontal wind turbines will allow the building to produce energy.
Dubai - 'da vinci rotating tower'
The Middle East Future Architecture Royal Haskoning architects were invited by Nakeel development to create a master plan design for pal Jebel Ali, off the coast of Dubai. Their winning design includes sports facilities, housing, retail and office space. The design also features an iconic bridge connecting to the main towers.
Dubai - Jebel Ali
The Middle East Future Architecture ‘Tameer towers' was proposed as a sustainable skyscraper, designed by Gensler architects. The development will include six 72 story towers with a diamond shaped base. Set to be complete in 2011, the towers will be shaded by a series of landscaped terraces. inside, apartments, hotels, shops and office will fill p the space.
Dubai - 'tameer towers'
The Middle East Future Architecture ‘The Burj Al Alam' or world tower is a 108 story, 501 meter high skyscraper currently being constructed in Dubai's business bay area. Designed by Nihon architects, the building's form is based on the form of a flower. when complete it will be among the tallest building in the world. The top of the building will be finished with a 6 story Turkish bath and sky garden, when construction is completed in 2010.
Dubai - 'the burj al alam'
The Middle East Future Architecture Hydropolis is a company who produces underwater resorts in places all over the world, including Dubai. its 220 suites will sit 66 feet below the Persian gulf. Cost issues and concerns over the project's environmental impact have halted the project which was originally expected to be completed this year.
Dubai - Hydropolis - underwater resort
The Middle East Future Architecture ‘The apeiron hotel' will be a 7-star hotel built on an island off of Dubai. The arched 185 meter tall hotel will cost 500 million USD. It will have 350 luxury suites that will only be accessible by yacht and helicopter. Designed by sybarite-uk, the hotel features its own lagoon, beaches, cinemas and at gallery.
Dubai - 'the apeiron hotel'
The Middle East Future Architecture
‘The palm tower' is as its name implies, inspired by the trunk of a palm tree. It is located in the center of Jumeirah village. It measures 150 meters tall holding offices, retail space and gardens. Designed by sybarite-uk, it contains 60,000 square meters of interior space.
Dubai - 'the palm tower' jumeirah village
The Middle East Future Architecture Rem Koolhaas's OMA architects collaborated with Porsche design to create the 'Porsche towers' in Dubai's business bay. The two building complex features a cylindrical tower and a hallow slab which is glassed in the center. The project is currently under construction.
Rem Koolhaas's OMA architects 'porsche towers' in dubai's
The Middle East Future Architecture
'the cloud' is a speculative design for a resort city elevated 300 meters in the air above Dubai and supported on slanting legs resembling rain. it is designed by Nadim Karam of Lebanese architect atelier hapsitus. it is a horizontal presence on an elevated platform, an antithesis to the sum of skyscrapers spreading over the entire region.
The Middle East Future Architecture
'Dubai hub one' is a design proposal for a cultural hub, serving the UAE. Designed by studio nova, the space has been created to work in much the same way as a shopping mall, except for the consumption of culture instead of goods. Its forms have been generated using algorithms and special programming scripts creating a dense structure of spaces.
The Middle East Future Architecture
Dubai - '0-14 tower' '0-14 tower' was designed by Resier and Umemoto and Rur architecture pc along with Dubai developer, Shahab Lutfi. The building was designed for Dubai's business bay and features 22 floors covered in a double skin facade that's outermost skin is constructed from 40c, thick perforated concrete. the one meter space between the skins creates a chimney effect, cooling the building.
The Middle East Future Architecture Dubai - Al Burj
The Al Burj. This will be the centerpiece of the Dubai Waterfront. Once completed it will take over the title of the tallest structure in the world from the Burj Dubai.
The Middle East Future Architecture Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's 2.4 kilometers tall Dubai City Tower.
Dubai - City Tower
The Middle East Future Architecture
This art deco inspired building will house a hotel and residences. 'the burj Dubai lake hotel' stands at 306 meters next to the Dubai mall and the burj Dubai lake.
The Middle East Future Architecture Named the 'G tower', this building was designed by YOO, a design company owned by Philippe Stark and john Hitchcox. Its geometric and grid-like exterior is set to be complete this summer. It is located in the city of Arabia, just outside Dubai.
Dubai - 'G tower',
The Middle East Future Architecture Madrid's a-cero architects led by Joaquin Torres has designed a new tower for the city of Dubai. ‘The wave tower' is a high-rise proposed to be installed on the city's waterfront, the first skyscraper to do so. The tall tower, which appears to float in the sea, is connected to land by a gently curved bridge which mimics the waves of the gulf sea. The building is under development and will be in the Madiant al Arab district. It will stand at 370 meters and have 92 floors wrapped in a double skin glass facade.
Dubai - 'the wave tower'
The Middle East Future Architecture 'the pixel tower' by light architecture is on the palm jebel ali overlooking the lagoon and bay. The building's twisted core gives it a light and flexible appearance. The 45 degree twist allows the uppermost apartments to have optimal views, despite the buildings footprint.
Dubai - 'the pixel tower'
The Middle East Future Architecture Real Estate mogul Donald Trump is also part of the architectural plans of Dubai, along with Nakheel hotels he plans to build a 255 meter 'trump hotel' on a man-made island in Dubai. With 60 stories, the 5 star hotel will also house some luxury apartments. the building has been designed by Atkins architects.
Dubai - 'trump hotel'
The Middle East Future Architecture 'the infinity tower' is designed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill and is located directly on Dubai's waterfront. When complete it will be the world's tallest tower to feature a 90-degree twist. It will be used for luxury apartments and services, with all sides of the building featuring optimal views. The building's interior structure will feature a concrete column, shaped like a helix. each floor has a slight 1.2 degree twist to compose the full 90 degrees.
Dubai - 'the infinity tower'
The Middle East Future Architecture
Dubai - 'Dubai promenade' 'Dubai promenade' is another project developed by Nakheel. located in between Dubai marina and palm Jumeirah, this wheel shaped five star hotel is built on a man-made peninsula. it will be accompanied by a series of sister towers that will create 2,000 residential units.
The Middle East Future Architecture
‘The Oval Tower' is located in the business bay area and features 19 floors of office space and a luxury deck with a gym. Divided into the tower and the podium, the project also holds retail space. It is designed by Atkins architects.
Dubai - ‘The Oval Tower'
The Middle East Future Architecture
‘Ocean Heights' is another tower located at Dubai marina. it measures 310 meters tall and contains 82 floors. Each side is twisted to maximize the views over the water when the building is completed this year.
Dubai - ‘Ocean Heights'
The Middle East Future Architecture
‘Tijara United' is a pair of office tower located near the financial district in Dubai. Its multi-colored facade features branch like structural components. The two buildings are joined at the base with a glass atrium.
Dubai - ‘Tijara United'
The Middle East Future Architecture ‘Synergy' is another building designed by India's Sanjay Puri for Dubai's business bay area. The 20-story building was designed to appear like a stack of cubes that were fluidly merged. One side overlooks the promenade in front while the other side faces a lake. The facade is punctured by a decorative motif derived from Islamic art.
The Middle East Future Architecture
‘The Emaar towers' are located at the entry point to the Burj Dubai development, right across from the Burj Dubai tower. The towers are 42 and 34 stories each and will mostly house offices. An articulated skin covers the buildings and recalls the layers of traditional Islamic architecture.
The Middle East Future Architecture
Inspired by the 'Q1', the world's tallest residential tower, the 'D1 tower' is designed by Sunland architects. It combines middle eastern tradition with modern technology. It measures 284 meter tall with 80 stories, located on Dubai creek cultural and artistic district.
The Middle East Future Architecture Atkins architects also designed 'the lighthouse' a new tower located in the middle of Dubai's financial center. The 400 meter tall office tower which hopes to set a new standard for sustainability among Dubai's towers. It plans to reduce its total energy consumption by 65% and its water consumption by up to 40%.
The Middle East Future Architecture
Architectural model of the 'Dubai opera house' by Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher. ‘The only opera house in the entire middle east', Dubai opera house is set on its own creek in the seven pearls district of the architecture hotbed that is Dubai. The landmark will encompass an auditorium with room for 2,500 people, a 5000m2 art gallery, an 800-seat playhouse, a performing arts school and a hotel.
The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture Jean Nouvel submitted this proposal for the Dubai opera house. The futuristic building is meant to differentiate itself from 'the vulgar hotels and office buildings' of Dubai. Its design resembles a cliff face or a waterfall and is capped with a giant dome featuring a semipermeable skin.
Dubai - opera house
July 14, 2008
DUBIOTECH: New Largest Green Building in Dubai The new headquarters of Dubiotech, is set to be one of the world’s largest green buildings. The LEED certified 22-story headquarters and laboratory buildings will be home to the center of excellence for biotechnology education and research, with two connected buildings oriented to maximize day-lighting and views while minimizing solar gain. It will also integrate a 500,000 sq ft animal reserve for indigenous conservation and wildlife protection. The design comes form design firm CUH2A, and is scheduled for completion in 2009. Conceptually, the architecture represents DNA migration in an agarose gel as seen during electrophoresis. (Electrophoresis is the movement of charged molecules under the influence of electric current.) This truly reflects the kind of research that will be conducted in the laboratories of DuBiotech and what this park is all about. The 60,000 sq ft headquarters, designed by CUH2A, the firm renowned for designing of facilities for science and technology institutions, won the Design and Sustainability Honour Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New Jersey Chapter. Dr. Abdulqader Alkhayat, Executive Director of DuBiotech said, “DuBiotech’s initiative to develop sustainable buildings matches its commitment to be a socially and environmentally responsible organization.” The DuBiotech park, set up under the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority, would be built on an area of 300-hectare with an estimated cost of about Dh130 million for the infrastructure, and Dh600 million for the lab and headquarters buildings. Dubiotech works with the objectives of nurturing biotechnology education, encouraging innovation, offering state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities both to the academia and industry, and would consist of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, drug manufacturers and suppliers. In order to broaden the horizons of biotechnology in the UAE, it would be partnering, in addition to industries, with universities, medical institutions, and other biotechnology parks. It is expected to create some 20,000 jobs.
July 14, 2008
O-14 GREEN DUBAI TOWER Form truly follows function when it comes to the façade of the lean green O-14 (pronounced “oh-14″) office tower which broke ground this December 2006 in Dubai. At 22 stories tall, the 300,000 square-foot commercial tower’s most unique feature is its façade, which is made of 16″ thick concrete containing over 1,000 circular openings. Designed by RUR Architecture, the building’s façade perforations serve as a solar screen, letting in light, air, and views through to the interior occupants. The one-meter space between the façade and the building’s glass surface also yields a chimney effect causing hot air to rise, creating an efficient passive cooling system. The façade also serves as a structural exoskeleton, absorbing all of the tower’s lateral forces and acting as a physical barrier for the building’s window wall. The Architects Jesse Reiser and Nanoko Umemoto of RUR Architecture designed O-14 in collaboration with developer Shahab Lutfi. The result was a fruitful relationship between developer and architect- both Reiser and Umemoto comment on the significance of their working relationship with Lutfi, with particular regard to his outlook and enthusiasm for innovative architecture. Dubai is fast becoming the global leader of bizarre upscale developments — for more interesting Dubai architecture, check out the rotating solar tower, and the floating mosque and floating communities which are currently being developed.
July 14, 2008
Rotating Wind Power Tower to begin construction in Dubai Dubai has garnered much attention in recent years with a never-ending supply of architectural wonders being built, or proposed, at a head spinning pace. Mostly these towering structures are grand and tall, but some are also green. David Fisher’s Rotating Tower, self-sufficient, sun and wind powered design is making headlines once again as the Italian-Israeli architect has just unveiled the latest design for his twirling tower, and construction is set to begin this month! The Dynamic Architecture building has been aptly named Rotating Tower as the floors would be capable of rotating around a central axis. It will be continually in motion, changing shape and giving residents the ability to choose a new view at the touch of a button. The form of the building would constantly change as each floor rotates separately giving a new view of the building as it turns. According to Fisher, the building ensures a very high resistance to earthquakes as each floor rotates independently. The new tower is the first building of its size to produced in a factory. Each floor, made up of 12 individual units, complete with plumbing, electric connections, air conditioning, etc., will be fabricated in a factory. These modular units will be fitted on the concrete core or spine of the building at the central tower. The 59-floor building will be powered entirely by sun and wind energy. And, the architect claims that the building will generate 10 times more energy than required to power it, thus making it a positive energy building. Solar panels will be fitted on the roof to harness sunlight, and a total of 48 wind turbines will be sandwiched between the rotating floors, placed so that they are practically invisible. Each wind turbine could produce up to 0.3 megawatt of electricity, and it is estimated that 1,200,000 kilowatt-hours of energy would be generated every year. Construction is going to start soon, with an official launch later this month, and plans are also afoot to build a similar tower in Moscow.
July 14, 2008
CELEBUTECTURE: Brad Pitt to design 5-star Eco Hotel in Dubai Brad Pitt is once again trading the silver screen for green building, as he recently announced a collaboration with LA-based architecture firm GRAFT to design a 5-star “green resort” in Dubai. We’re not sure if “Dubai” and “green” really belong in the same sentence, and we’re also skeptical about the project oxymoronically being called both “socially-conscious” and “an 800-room luxury hotel and adjoining leisure complex,” but we’ll wait to see how it unfolds. No details or location have been announced yet, but we can only hope that given Brad’s friendship with Frank Gehry and his commitment to Global Green, it’ll be as beautiful and green as the superstar claims. The undeniably handsome star has an ongoing interest in architecture, helping to rebuild 150 homes after Hurricane Katrina, and collaborating with friend Frank Gehry from time to time. The face of Global Green, Brad has also committed to building green, so we’re curious to see how the Dubai project follows his values. The hotel was announced by developers Zabeel Properties on Monday. Between the upcoming birth of his and Angie’s twins and all the design charrettes in his future, we’re guessing Mr. Pitt won’t be getting much sleep any time soon.
July 24, 2008
Dubai Museum, Dubai, United Arab Emirates UNStudio create futuristic design for first Dubai Museum of Middle East Modern Art Dubai is set to embark on a cultural journey as the realisation of UN Studio's Museum of Middle East Modern Art begins, the Ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced this week. It will be the first museum of its kind in Dubai and will be located on the banks of Khor Dubai in Culture Village. The futuristic, elegant form created by UN Studio's design is sleek and bold in its massing leaning over passers-by as though it were the bow of an enormous ship. Dubai Properties Group are to develop the Museum's design which was commissioned by His Highness Sheik Mohammed following the establishment of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and the launch of Khor Dubai which is designed to celebrate cultural diversity in the UAE. In addition to the Museum the UAD 50 billion Culture Village will hold 40 million sq ft of land and will include an amphitheatre, an exhibition hall and smaller museums.
The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi, UAE The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi – Aldar Central Market 2006- Foster + Partners; Co-architects: Planar
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi – Aldar Central Market 2006- Foster + Partners; Co-architects: Planar
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi – Aldar Central Market 2006- Foster + Partners; Co-architects: Planar
The Middle East Future Architecture RMJM architects have designed this building for Abu Dhabi convention centre. The structure features an organically shaped office tower, which blends seamlessly into the horizontal convention space below.
Abu Dhabi – ‘convention centre’
The Middle East Future Architecture The 255 meter 'stellar tower' was designed by London-based architects, Make. It was commissioned to Honour the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Located on Ittihad square, the building features a geometric, dress shaped exterior which will house offices, a hotel and commercial space.
Abu Dhabi - 'stellar tower'
The Middle East Future Architecture 'the REEM media building' is also designed by light architecture and is located in Abu Dhabi. it was designed to reflect traditional arab architecture, focusing around the patio and pool. the facade features an immense 34 by 9 meter projection screen which can be seen from the city's coastline. the building is also able to be dismantled and reconstructed on another site.
Abu Dhabi - 'the REEM media building'
Ultra-Green Abu Dhabi Project Desert buildings that produce more energy than they consume may no longer be the stuff of mirages. Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture recently won a competition to design Masdar Headquarters, a 1.6-million-square-foot, zero-waste, zero-carbon facility that it predicts will generate not only enough power to run itself, but also surplus energy to help fuel buildings surrounding it. Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s multi-billion dollar initiative to further the development and commercialization of sustainable energy. The headquarters building will be the heart of Masdar City, a 2.3-square-mile city masterplanned by Foster + Partners just outside Abu Dhabi. Smith and Gill’s design features a sprawling canopy lined with photovoltaics, resting on 11 massive glass hyperboloids. Underneath the canopy, a series of interconnected volumes, topped by green roofs, provide space for offices, retail stores, and residences. The hyperboloids serve as cooling chimneys that exhaust warm air while also creating interior courtyards with water gardens; they are sculpted to bring diffuse daylight into the facility and prevent the glare of direct sunlight. The design even aims to reduce energy consumption during construction. “It was designed so that the canopy, photovoltaic roof, and cooling tower structures could all go in first and shade the workers while the they’re building the rest of it,” says Smith, noting that they will use energy from the photovoltaics for construction. “Our philosophy is to really understand the way that buildings are made,” adds Gill. “We’re looking closely at the construction process, and anything that we can do from a sustainable standpoint to help that process, we’ll work into the concept and design of the building.”
The Masdar Initiative: Going Green in the UAE In 2006, Abu Dhabi launched the Masdar Initiative, a $15bn project that seeks to “embrace renewable and sustainable energy technologies.� One of the ways that Masdar Initiative hopes to do this largely through the construction of Masdar City, a zeroemissions, zero-carbon, zero-waste city with a target population of 50,000. According to VentureBeat: Although much of that money will go toward construction and infrastructure requirements, Masdar is also becoming a significant force in fostering new technologies. The Masdar Clean Tech Fund has already sunk $250 million into cleantech ventures from its first fund, and is in the process of raising more capital for a second. The investment dollars are going in large part to ideas for energy generation. The planned power supply of Masdar is to be split between several sources, with solar providing the majority; a 500 megawatt solar thermal installation a 100MW solar concentrator project (which funding has not yet been announced for) are in the works. Research is going into thin film, and the city will play host to a solar photovoltaic manufacturing plant. However, another 500MW will come from a plant fueled by hydrogen, Al Jaber said in his speech. The new city will provide a rare opportunity to test out utility-scale use of hydrogen, which is estimated to be decades away in this country. The initiative has also launched an eponymous Masdar Clean Tech Fund that seeks to invest $250mm.
The Masdar Initiative: Going Green in the UAE
The Masdar Initiative:
Ultra-Green Abu Dhabi Project
The Masdar Initiative:
Ultra-Green Abu Dhabi Project
The Middle East Future Architecture Abu Dhabi – Saadiyat Island
An island sanctuary off the coast of Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat, which translates as ‘island of happiness’, is one of TDIC's flagship developments. Occupying 27 square kilometres the entire project is due for completion by 2018 and is created around an ecosensitive philosophy with a special low density masterplan. A premier island destination as well as a modern, integrated residential community, Saadiyat will eventually be home to an estimated 160,000 residents with a full complement of leisure and tourism facilities, as well as civic and cultural amenities.
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi – Saadiyat Island
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi – Saadiyat Island
A Vision in the Desert Abu Dhabi, UAE FIFTY years ago this modest slice of the Persian Gulf coast was a sleepy settlement of palm-front huts and Bedouin encampments, its few thousand inhabitants mostly subsisting on fishing and the pearldiving trade. Oil changed all that of course, and since the 1960s Abu Dhabi has morphed into a modern capital of hotels and high rises, fulfilling the economic vision of the United Arab Emirates’ ambitious former leader, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan. Now the city is on the verge of another audacious leap. Over the next decade or so it aims to become one of the great cultural centers of the Middle East: the heir, in its way, to cosmopolitan cities of old like Beirut, Cairo and Baghdad. This latter-day Xanadu, as envisioned in a glittering multimillion-dollar exhibition in the lobby of the opulent Emirates Palace Hotel here, would boast four museums, a performing arts center and 19 art pavilions designed by celebrated architects like Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Jean Nouvel. The development could include leading cultural lights of the West, from the Guggenheim to the Louvre to Yale University.
Planned for a 670-acre cultural district in Abu Dhabi: Above, from left, a Guggenheim Museum by Frank Gehry, a classical museum by Jean Nouvel, a performing arts center by Zaha Hadid, a maritime museum by Tadao Ando. Also envisioned are a national museum and 19 arts pavilions bordering a canal.
A Vision in the Desert Abu Dhabi, UAE Just one component of a $27 billion residential, office and hotel development planned for Saadiyat Island (Island of Happiness), the 670-acre cultural district is still in the nascent stages. Most of the major cultural institutions have yet to sign on officially, and the Guggenheim, for one, is well known for chasing unrealized dreams. Some will dismiss this kingdom of culture as a mere tourist development in which art, history and regional identity are reduced to marketing commodities. But those who view it as an exercise in global branding or as a feel-good story about an Arab country willing to embrace the values of Western modernity are missing the point. With once-proud cities like Beirut and Baghdad ripped apart by political conflict bordering on civil war, Abu Dhabi offers the hope of a major realignment, a chance to plant the seeds for a fertile new cultural model in the Middle East. It’s easy to be skeptical. But judging by the designs released so far, the buildings promise to be more than aesthetic experiments, outlining a vision of crosscultural pollination.
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi – Saadiyat Island
The Middle East Future Architecture In addition to the proposed opera house in Dubai, Jean Nouvel is also currently working on the design for the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The museum's new location will be located on Saadiyat island (the happiness island) right next to the new branch of the Guggenheim museum. Nouvel's Louvre features a giant sun shade which hangs ominously over the island. it is planned to be completed by 2012 at a cost of 83 million Euros.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Middle East Future Architecture
Louvre Abu Dhabi
A Vision in the Desert Abu Dhabi, UAE For Abu Dhabi’s tourist and development authority, mapping out a mix of marinas and beachfront resorts seemed straightforward enough. But when it came to the cultural master plan, the agency decided to call in Thomas Krens, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, known for his campaign to open a dozen Guggenheim branches in places like Singapore, St. Petersburg and Rio de Janeiro (few of which have been built). He began by pulling together a list of famous architectural talents. For the Guggenheim Mr. Gehry was enlisted to replicate his success in Bilbao, Spain. Mr. Nouvel was offered a “classical” museum that could house visiting exhibitions from the Louvre, Ms. Hadid a performing arts center and Tadao Ando a maritime museum. (Each building is expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.) Mr. Krens worked with Skidmore Owings & Merrill to revamp the original master plan, adding a canal flanked by a string of 19 pavilions that could be used to present art and architecture biennials — a not-so-subtle knockoff of the highly successful Venice Biennale.
A Vision in the Desert Abu Dhabi, UAE Meanwhile the development authority began a series of conversations with Yale University about creating an arts institute — encompassing art, architecture, music and drama — directly across the performing arts center. Next on the agenda is a competition to design a national museum. In some ways this array suggests the market’s insatiable appetite for novelty rather than a cohesive vision. In the early stages the various cultural institutions will rely mostly on art loans from foreign museums and performances by touring companies. For the time being Abu Dhabi has no opera company or orchestra that would use the performing arts center as a permanent home. And the exhibition at the Emirates Palace Hotel comes across as an extravagant marketing pitch to the country’s rulers, who have yet to give the project final approval. A chunk is devoted to the Guggenheim Bilbao, a blunt reminder of how architecture has been used as a marketing gambit. A wall text unabashedly projects figures on the income the cultural hub could generate through new tourism.
The Middle East Future Architecture
As mentioned, Saadiyat island will also be home to New York's Guggenheim museum designed by Frank O. Gehry. The new branch will provide 30,000 square meters of space in typical Gehry fashion. A series of interconnected forms will make up the buildings structure on the island.
A Vision in the Desert Abu Dhabi, UAE Meanwhile the development authority began a series of conversations with Yale University about creating an arts institute — encompassing art, architecture, music and drama — directly across the performing arts center. Next on the agenda is a competition to design a national museum. In some ways this array suggests the market’s insatiable appetite for novelty rather than a cohesive vision. In the early stages the various cultural institutions will rely mostly on art loans from foreign museums and performances by touring companies. For the time being Abu Dhabi has no opera company or orchestra that would use the performing arts center as a permanent home. And the exhibition at the Emirates Palace Hotel comes across as an extravagant marketing pitch to the country’s rulers, who have yet to give the project final approval. A chunk is devoted to the Guggenheim Bilbao, a blunt reminder of how architecture has been used as a marketing gambit. A wall text unabashedly projects figures on the income the cultural hub could generate through new tourism.
A Vision in the Desert Abu Dhabi, UAE Meanwhile the development authority began a series of conversations with Yale University about creating an arts institute — encompassing art, architecture, music and drama — directly across the performing arts center. Next on the agenda is a competition to design a national museum. In some ways this array suggests the market’s insatiable appetite for novelty rather than a cohesive vision. In the early stages the various cultural institutions will rely mostly on art loans from foreign museums and performances by touring companies. For the time being Abu Dhabi has no opera company or orchestra that would use the performing arts center as a permanent home. And the exhibition at the Emirates Palace Hotel comes across as an extravagant marketing pitch to the country’s rulers, who have yet to give the project final approval. A chunk is devoted to the Guggenheim Bilbao, a blunt reminder of how architecture has been used as a marketing gambit. A wall text unabashedly projects figures on the income the cultural hub could generate through new tourism.
The Middle East Future Architecture the design for Abu Dhabi's performing arts centre was conceived of by Zaha Hadid. The building is meant to house music, theatre and dance, located on Saadiyat island along with the new Louvre and Guggenheim museum's. The island was intended to be a 'beacon for cultural experience and exchange' by Abu Dhabi's ruler, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan.
Abu Dhabi - performing arts centre by Zaha Hadid
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi - performing arts centre by Zaha Hadid
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi - performing arts centre by Zaha Hadid
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi - performing arts centre by Zaha Hadid
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi - performing arts centre by Zaha Hadid
The Middle East Future Architecture Ando’s Maritime Museum concept takes its inspiration from Abu Dhabi’s natural surroundings, landscape and maritime traditions. It has a reflective surface visually merging sea and land. Its ship-like interior has floating decks which guide visitors through the exhibition space.
Abu Dhabi - Ando’s Maritime Museum
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi - Ando’s Maritime Museum
The Middle East Future Architecture
Abu Dhabi - Ando’s Maritime Museum
The Middle East Future Architecture
Sorough real estate is planning a grouping of large buildings in Abu Dhabi for their 'gate development'. The complex will house a number of unique structures including the 83 story, 379 meter tall 'sky tower'. When complete, it will be the 15th tallest residential tower in the world.
The Middle East Future Architecture
dbi design created this 5 tower project dubbed ‘The Ethiad Towers'. The project is located on a the waterfront in Abu Dhabi, near the business district. The 5 towers range in size from 55 to 77 stories.
Ras al Khaimah, UAE The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture This death-star like sphere is a design proposal for the RAK convention and exhibition centre in the new city development, Ras al Khaimah. It was designed by rem koolhaas and reiner de graaf of OMA architects. The building is made of glass and steel constructed in a giant sphere and located beside a long and low exhibition space next to it.
Ras al Khaimah
The Middle East Future Architecture Conceived of as a gateway to the city of Dubai, Norway's Snohetta architects designed this cobra like building complex. The project was commissioned by Sheik Saud and Rakeen of Ras alKhaimah. The design is meant to create an icon to serve as an entry point to the city. Covering over 300,000 square meters of land, the building will house a congress center, exhibition space, shopping center and 3 hotels. Rakeen of Ras al-Khaimah
The Middle East Future Architecture
Located in the emirate of Ras al Khaimah, ‘Jebel al Jais mountain resort' is a tourist resort designed by Rem Koolhaas of OMA architects. The project features an inhabited dam, bridge and vertical village built right into the cliff.
Ras al Khaimah
Ajman, UAE The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture Designer/architect: a-lab in collaboration with migrant (urban planning), ZINC (interior designers) and 13.3 Landscape architects Multiconsult Date/expected year of completion: 2009 Status of project (spring 2007): Design development Firm website: www.a-lab.no Photo credit: 3d-model by Placebo Effects, plans and sections by a-lab
Ajman Municipal Headquarters, Ajman, United Arabic Emirates
The Middle East Future Architecture The Norwegian architectural practice a-lab, in collaboration with migrant (urban planning), ZINC (interior designers) and 13.3 Landscape architects Multiconsult, won the 1st prize in the international competition for the design project of the new Municipal Headquarters in Ajman, UA, which was awarded to the Norwegian consortium by H.H. Sheikh Rashed bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, the Chairman of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department.
Ajman Municipal Headquarters, Ajman, United Arabic Emirates
The Middle East Future Architecture The project ambition is to create a public landmark in Ajman and creating an icon of public service. The brief’s 15000 m2 are divided between a sixteen storey high-rise building housing the municipality administration, and a single storey public building with reception, public service plaza, exhibition, conference hall, and caf facilities grouped around a courtyard, an inner garden with water, trees and palms. A line of open counters, meeting rooms and offices in the back, function as service stations and become the interface between the public and the different departments. A sail-like curved screen binds the project together, serving to shade both the entrance forecourt area and the sunny side of the building. The space between the screen and the high-rise building is planted to create 'hanging' gardens. The screen itself derives its pattern from traditional Arabic decoration. Water levels in the ground are high and easy accessible. Interior water canals connected to the exterior ‘moat’ separate different public functions. The facades around the courtyard are 'clad' in screens of flowing water, modulating both the interior and exterior light.
Ajman Municipal Headquarters, Ajman, United Arabic Emirates
The Middle East Future Architecture The sail construction The canopy provides shelter from the sun over the entrance plaza. Sun is filtered through it to dramatize light. It also gives direction to the lobby, curving up and covers the other side of the tower, leaning outwards before curving slightly over the roof, providing semi-covered space for balconies, hanging gardens etc. The effect transforms through the day, - a sail in the sunrise, a green mesh in daylight, ablaze when illuminated from inside at night, with greenery filtering light through the mesh. The architecture of the office tower is distinguishable from all angles. The “sail� will be formed as a dia-grid structure, - the individual elements being made of advanced structural membranes with varying properties of translucency, transparency, colour and reflectivity. These membrane materials are highly durable and have been successfully used by Hightex over several decades in projects worldwide and in all types of climates; this includes several notable projects in the Gulf region. Fluoropolymer membranes have excellent longevity and are very inert, making them particularly resistant to sunlight and other extremes of weather. With the use of these state of the art materials, individual areas of the sail can be designed to have different properties of light transmission, shading and thermal characteristics in order to give the required optical and thermal environment beneath.
Ajman Municipal Headquarters, Ajman, United Arabic Emirates
The Middle East Future Architecture Ajman is a small island territory 20 km outside of Dubai, which is also the United Arab Emirates smallest state. A large master plan is under way to transform the city's waterfront. Existing elements will be added onto and a series of new buildings will also be constructed. The whole plan cover 26 hectares of land area.
Ajman
Doha, Qatar The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East Future Architecture
Qatar - Education City Qatar Foundation is headquartered in a unique Education City, a 2,500-acre campus on the outskirts of Doha which hosts branch campuses of some of the world's leading universities, as well as numerous other educational and research institutions. Supported by abundant residential and recreational facilities, Education City is envisioned as a community of institutions that serve the whole citizen, from early childhood education to post-graduate study. Moreover, Education City is envisioned as a hub for the generation of new knowledge -- a place that provides researchers with world-class facilities, a pool of well-trained graduates, the chance to collaborate with likeminded people and the opportunity to transfer ideas into real-world applications.
The Middle East Future Architecture
Qatar - Education City – Liberal Arts and Science Building
The Middle East Future Architecture
Qatar - Education City – Medical College
The Middle East Future Architecture
Qatar - Education City – Medical College
The Middle East Future Architecture
Qatar - Education City – College of Engineering
July 3, 2008
The Education City Convention Center, Doha, Qatar The Education City Convention Center on the outskirts of Doha, Qatar, designed by Arata Isozaki, includes a giant structure resembling two intertwined trees to support the building's exterior canopy. Used in lieu of vertical columns, the 250-meter- (820-foot-) long, doubly curved steel tree structure forms the signature entrance to the convention center, currently under construction. The ten-squarekilometer (3.9-square-mile) Education City development houses the headquarters of the Qatar Foundation and a number of branch campuses of some of the world's foremost universities. The convention center depicts not just any kind of tree, but specifically the sidra tree, a multifaceted cultural symbol. This evergreen, also known as the lote tree (Ziziphus spina-christi), is mentioned in the Quran as a symbol of knowledge of the divine. The foundation, which takes the sidra as its logo, cites the tree as a shady haven for scholars, a source for traditional medicines, and a symbol of life in the desert. The international engineering firm Buro Happold was called upon to design and engineer the sidra tree project for the entrance to the convention center. Arata Isozaki used computer generated models to optimize the lowest-weight structure that could support the roof. Sidra tree structure was a result of an optimization program. The conception of such a size and complexity was only the beginning. The design team faced the Herculean task of transforming the architectural vision into technical realities. Buro Happold’s SMART (Software Modeling Analysis Research Technologies) team was summoned and didn’t disappoint. The structure that they came up with has a dual layout: an outer curved complex form and underneath a structural core of octagonal cubes.
The Middle East Future Architecture Due for completion later this year, this 43 story office tower was designed by jean Nouvel. The building is located in Doha, Qatar. the exterior is made from glass covered in a metal skin that is designed based on a traditional Islamic pattern.
Doha, Qatar - office tower designed by jean nouvel
Saudi Arabia The Middle East Future Architecture
Snøhetta Wins ‘King Abdulaziz Center for Knowledge and Culture’ Competition in Saudi Arabia In competition with some of the world’s greatest architects, Snøhetta has won the competition about designing Saudi Arabia’s new Cultural Center. Saudi Aramco – the world’s largest oil company – is the client. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz set the cornerstone for the Cultural Center which will house a museum, library, theater, cinema and more. The building reflects the history of oil in Saudi Arabia and is different from the country’s architectonic traditions with its abstract and spectacular form. Along with five other internationally know architect offices, Snøhetta participated in the competition and was chosen in preference to famous names as Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas.
The Middle East Future Architecture Al-Birr Foundation headquarters and office building. An intriciate and symbolic yet practical approach to an office tower that responds to a harsh environmental climate. Perkins+Will reinterpreted the typology of an urban tower in the spirit of Le Corbusier’s explorations of the brise-soleil, calibrated to the extreme solar exposure and heat conditions of the microclimate of Riyadh. The design employs innovation in elevation and section, rather than plan, as the generator for functional solutions as well as symbolic analogies to Saudi historical precedents—the minaret, the garden, and the mashrabiya—all emblematic of the Foundation’s altruistic mission to protect, replenish, and speak for needy children and families. Completion: 2010 Area: 590,000sqft, Award: 2007 AIA New York State : Design Award of Merit
Al-Birr Foundation Office Tower, Riyadh, KSA, Architects: Perkins+Will
Bahrain The Middle East Future Architecture
A benchmark Kuwait office development, short listed for prestigious award An Atkins Bahrain project, the Al Sharq office complex, has been short listed for the 2007 MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Award - Offices category. The 180m tower will cover an area of 56,400sq.m. Commissioned by Al Mar & Aqar, the complex combines work and leisure, internal and outside spaces, and offers a variety of scenarios for business within a sustainable and environmentally responsible design. Hovering above a glass fronted entrance is a podium with a sky garden food court. Office spaces are hung from a pairing of parallel blades topped at roof level with a gym, spa, health club and pool. Floating above this pool deck is a suspended high-panoramic views. Solar panel cladding contributes to the green building’s energy needs while the foliage camouflage provides office workers a place to step outside and recharge.
Arab Countries The Middle East Future Architecture
Jordan The Middle East Future Architecture
Zaha Hadid & Delugan Meissl Assossiated Architects Win ‘Darat King Abdullah II’ Competition in Amman The Greater Amman Municipality as the promoter of the ‘Darat King Abdullah II’ architectural competition credited two design proposals with the first prize. The winning offices are the Austrian architects Delugan Meissl Assossiated Architects and the British architect Zaha Hadid. The Norwegian architecture office ‘Snøhetta’ became third. The competition was initiated following the directives of His Excellency King Abdullah II supported by a selected group of qualified advisers of the Hashemite Royal Office early last year. The aim was to establish a cultural centre in Jordan, called ‘Darat King Abdullah II’. The premium city center site at Ras Al Ain on the other side of the Al-Hussein Cultural Center was chosen for the new venue of Jordan’s performing arts. The Municipality decided to organize an international architectural competition with top-class architects experienced in theater and opera planning, in order to achieve the best and most appropriate design for this cultural landmark. The selection committee short-listed the six teams amongst 30 applicants, because they achieved the requirements of the Municipality. The others did not fulfill the expectations in terms of the required experience. The building will be designed to be the center of various art activities and associations, including the Amman Symphony Orchestra, the National Institute of Music, the National Folklore Group and the Amman Municipality Group of Folk Art. The ‘Darat King Abdullah II’ will additionally provide facilities and room for concerts, dance and theatre performances for local and international groups. This new venue will consist of a large theater, accommodating 1600 persons and a small theater with 400 seats available both equipped with highly sophisticated audio systems. Training areas and public facilities, as a restaurant and a café will also be provided. The development will require a certain level of flexibility in terms of its design, construction and operation to accommodate large events and experimental workshops. ‘Darat King Abdullah II’ will arrange local community events and become the cultural hub for artistic programs and activities. The building will also offer space for learning programs, supporting education and training courses for children, youth and adults in various disciplines.
1st Prize Zaha Hadid Architects, London/UK
1st Prize Delugan Meissl Associates, Austria
Egypt The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East
Contemporary Architecture in Egypt
The Middle East
Contemporary Architecture in Egypt
Syria The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East
Contemporary Architecture in Syria
Great (Umayyad) Mosque
Iraq The Middle East Future Architecture
The Middle East
Contemporary Architecture in Iraq
Great (or al-Mutawakkil) Mosque
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