مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014 (ص 13)

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مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014 (ص 13)

المحتوى

iy
‎corn pete previ‏ تو ‎ap ECO‏ و حمر
‎arin [pete ‏يض ععم‎
‎architectural traditions, the vernacular as found in the local mud brick
Najdi architecture, and the monumental as expressed in such works as
the Alhambra. It provides office space for 1,600 employees; meeting,
conference and prayer rooms; banquet, library, auditorium, exhibition
and parking facilities. Inspired by the traditional souq, different energy
conservation strategies were employed including the use of thick walls,
high quality insulation, mashrabiyyas, and small windows. The Tuwaiq
Palace, a central cultural facility for the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh,
is another striking example. The concept is based on a sinuous spine
that winds in on itself and reaches a length of 800 meters. Inspired by
regional fortresses, the design includes three white tents attached to
the main building that face the inner gardens. The tents minimize the
surface area exposed to the hot afternoon sun. The Great Mosque of
Riyadh and the urban development of Qasr al Hokm district, is another
stunning example that represents a conscious endeavor at interpreting
the past.
‎Other examples that attempt to balance tradition and moder-
nity in search of a unique identity can be identified in the Qatar and
Emirates. The old campus of Qatar University, the Post Office in Doha
and kindergarten prototypes throughout the UAE are clear manifes-
tations of such endeavors. However, key interventions representing
exploratory novelties with different interpretations have emerged
here and there throughout the region including the Sheraton Hotel-
Doha, the Sheikha Khalifa Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Intercontinental
Hotel Muscat and Al Thawra Hospital in Yemen.
‎POST-Oil Architecture: Global Flows and Service
Hubs From ‏و1990‎ to the present day
‎Since the mid-99Qs, a number of theorists and urban researchers
have embraced the concept of the space of flows. Manuel Castells
argues that contemporary societies are structured around flows
of capital, information, technology, images, sounds, symbols, and
objects of consumption. While the notion of such flows can be eas-
ily validated, his assumption that the global city is not a place buta
process has been proven untrue. This is clearly evident in the rise
of cities such as Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, and Manama to the class
of global cities; these are witnessing unprecedented and continu-
ous urban development and growth processes. In contrast, Arjun
Appadurai labelled global cities as "scapes" of flows. Appadurai iden-
tified five types of scapes: ethnoscapes, mediascapes, finanscapes,
technoscapes and ideascapes.
‎Applying Appadurai’s terminology, emerging hub cities in the
Arabian Peninsula can be regarded as ethnoseapes, that is, envi-
ronments created by the need for workforce and the interaction of
diverse cultures: places where large numbers of expatriate work-
ers and professionals live, work, or visit. High Rise towers such Burj
Khalifa in Dubai and Doha Tower are clear manifestations of these
scapes. Additionally, public libraries and museums are cases of cul-
tural flows. They include the King Fahd National Library in Riyadh,
Museum of Istamic Art in Doha, and the famous proposed museums
of Saadiyat Island of Abu Dhabi.
‎Cities in the Peninsula can also be envisioned as mediascapes,
spaces that are generated by the expanding role of media as a result
of the revolution in information technology. Developing media cities
and controversial TV news channels, such as Al-Jazeera in Doha and
Al-Arabiya in Dubai are clear manifestations of the important role
of media in the Middle East today. Further, some cities on the pen-
insula, such as Dubai or Manama, can be viewed as financescapes,
places that are created by flows of capital and the establishment
of transnational corporations and stock exchanges. In addition,
these emerging cities can also be regarded as technoscapes and
ideascapes, challenging and stimulating environments that reflect
the influence of telecommunication technologies and the result-
ing spread of ideologies. Industries in the free trade zone of Dubai,
Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, the Education City and Qatar Science
and Technology Park in Doha, the KAUST-King Abdulla University of
Science and Technology, north of Jeddah, and German University of
Technology - GU Tech in Oman are clear models in this context.
‎By and large, these ‘scapes’ are important players in the shaping
of social and professional practices and the resulting spatial envi-
ronments that accommodate them. They accentuate the role global
flows play in shaping contemporary development processes. Cities
like Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, and Manama are commonly referred
to as global cities since they are exposed to more flows than cit-
ies like Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, and Riyadh. However, some cities
have acquired a geo-strategic importance: through the shift of global
economic forces, they have developed into central hubs between the
old economies of Western Europe and the rising economies of Asia.
In the context of regional and international competition between
cities, new challenges are emerging and making their mark on the
regional and world stage. Architecture and urbanism in the Arabian
Peninsula continue to be regarded as a crucial catalyst for cities to
sustain their position in the shifting milieu of global flows and know!-
edge economies that are identified as one of the driving forces for
urban development. This includes international services, high-tech
industries, and trans-cultural higher education institutions. While
‎Dubai has set the stage as an exemplar of a global city, its vision and
progressive practices have prompted other regional cities to move
forward: these are now emerging as urban and architectural com-
petitors in the frantic race to be the first to develop and construct
futuristic new cities and implement large scale urban regeneration
projects.
‎The development of a post-oil economy in the Peninsula has led to
anew way of understanding cities as a future asset that can sustain
and widen the economic prosperity of the region. The main conse-
quence of this has been the attempt to open markets and interweave
with global business. While Dubai has been the major trend-setting
center for this new tendency, due to its visionary introduction of new
methods for creating and maintaining vast urban growth, and thus
garnering international attention, other cities, such as Doha, Abu
Dhabi and Manama have also followed suit, Recently, these cities
have begun to embrace policies in order to develop similar projects
and strategies.
‎Currently, the Arabian Peninsula can be considered as one of the
largest construction sites in the world, and the resulting transforma-
tion of the built environment has led to anew, more dynamic and more
functional type of city — the emerging service hub. in recent years,
the growing economic and cultural competition between countries
has increased the speed and extent of new urban developments. The
urban development strategy introduced by Dubai during the 1990s
has become the blueprint for the new rulers of Abu Dhabi and Qatar,
and has enticed them to modernize urbanism and to establish their
capitals as international service hubs. Bahrain can also be considered
one of the pioneers regarding economic diversification strategies,
initiated by its decline, due to limited reserves in oil production and
refining in the 1970s. A causeway to Saudi-Arabia built during the
1980s, and more liberal investment policies and strategies in the
financial sector have been major factors in progressive economic
developments within the service sector in Bahrain. In the case of
Dubai the introduction of freehold property laws at the end of last
century was a catalyst for exponential growth in recent years.
‎While Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama are currently the main
centers of contemporary post-oil urbanism, other cities in the UAE,
Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have also been witnessing rapid
urban transformation processes. The rapid growth of Dubai, for
instance, has resulted in the establishment of dormitory settlements
in the smaller, less affluent northern emirates of the UAE due to lower
land prices and service costs. Furthermore, the successful marketing
of Dubai as an international tourist destination and hub has led to
increasing tourism for Oman due to its emphasis on a unique cultural
heritage and more diverse landscapes. One recent consequence has
been the initiation of large-scale real estate projects in the form of
master planned developments in Muscat and its surroundings. The
Iraq invasion of 1990 prevented similar developments in Kuwait while
the increasing influence of conservative Islamic elements in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has disabled the implementation of urban
development strategies undertaken by large scale development com-
panies to establish international service hubs. Nevertheless, recent
projects, such as King Abdullah Economic City north of Jeddah and
the City of Silk in Kuwait are preliminary attempts to keep up with the
new development realities of cities in the region. In the future, these
cities will face challenges to become more competitive regarding
growth on one hand while taking the necessary measures to consoli-
date, and develop more sustainable urban structures on the other.

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مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014

تاريخ

2014

المنشئ

جورج عربيد