مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014 (ص 18)

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مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014 (ص 18)

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marble and stone. In particular, banks built in the 1950s were clad
in natural and artificial materials: Rafidain Bank, Bank of Baghdad
(1957, J.A. Ritchie and Jibreel Khamu), the Otteman Bank (1956,
Philip Hirst and 6. 8, Cooper). Central heating and cooling were used
for the first time and became an integral part of buildings. Elevators
were also used for the first time and became widespread, particularly
among important buildings such as banks.
New construction methods and technological advances in engi-
neering that allowed for long spans became common and influenced
building layouts, which became more compact and dependent on
mechanical services rather than responding to natural conditions.
Curtain walls and louvers became widespread. Many architects were
enthusiastic about these new building elements, which were not only
rationally employed in line with climatic conditions in Iraq, but also
in order to achieve aesthetic effects, at times involving color. The
work of Abdallah Ihsan Kamil, Rifat Chadirji, and Philip Hirst shows
an enthusiasm in using these systems for different purposes.
The 1950s yielded notable works of architecture that left a mark
on architectural production in lraq. The finest example of placing
architectural practices into a new perspective is the Red Crescent
Workhouse in al-Alwiya, designed in 1948 by Ellen Jawdat al-Ayoubi.
in addition, the work of Abdallah Ihsan Kamil and Jafar Allawi hold
a significant place in the repertoire of the 1950s. Allawi designed
several buildings including al-Hariri High School in al-Adhamiya
(1953), the Jaafari School (1946), the Sami Saadeddine Building
in Rusafa Square (1949), and the Mirjan Building in Bab al-Shargi
(1953 ~ 54), an exemplary work of the decade. Midhat Ali Madhloom
was a prolific architect. He designed al-Amana beach resort (1947),
al-Ardhrumli Cinema (1946-47), the Iraqi Society for Palm Dates
Building in al-Salhiya in the early 1950s, the School of Economics and
Politics (1956), and the July 14 Casino (1958-59), near al-Muthanna
Airport, in collaboration with Hisham Munir. Young fraqi architects
who studied abroad and worked in Iraq complete the picture of archi-
tecture in the 1950s, They were mostly involved in designing private
residences in the modern style.
The State Development Board (Majlis al-I'mar) commissioned
renowned international architects to design various large-scale
projects. Some remain unbuilt: designs by Frank Lloyd Wright
including an opera house in Um al-Khanazeer Island and a Post and
Telegraph Office within the Baghdad master plan designed by the
firm Minoprio-Spencely-MacFarlane; the Police and the Ministry
of Defense buildings designed by Willem Marinus Dudok, includ-
ing the Palace of Justice and the Land Registry and Settlement
Building within the Civic Center; and the Fine Arts Museum and the
Central Post and Telegraph Building by Alvar Aalto. Some commis-
sions were brought to fruition and the buildings are still standing: the
vast Baghdad University Campus, by Walter Gropius and TAC, was
partially implemented in the mid-1980s; Le Corbusier's Gymnasium,
initially designed on the site of the present Conference Palace, was
finally built in 1980 on the other bank of the Tigris. Several important
official buildings were built in the Karradat Maryam neighborhood,
which is now known as the Green or international Zone: the Ministry
and Council of Construction (now the Ministry of Planning) by Gio
Ponti in 1962, the Presidential Palace and the National Council
Buiiding by G.B. Cooper in 1953, and the American Embassy by Jose-
Luis Sert shortly after. Lastly, Constantin Doxiadis was commissioned
for a master plan and housing scheme for Baghdad. As a result of
the flow of new architectural ideas, experimentations, successes,
and failures, the 19505 established a solid foundation for modern
architecture and later architectural practices in Iraq.
Architecture in the 1960s and 1970s:
building traqi modernity
The lragi National Revolution (July 14th, 1958) became the trigger
of a complex identity: on the one hand, it has often been expressed
as a break with the Western world but on the other hand, it cre-
ated the opportunity for incorporating the legacies of international
modernism. Among the major trends of this new traqi expression
in art and architecture, we can find, for instance, the neo-Islamic
Classicism of Mohamed Makiya, or the International Regionalism
conceptualised by Rifat Chadirji. The main figures of this generation
are: Hisham Munir, Qahtan Madfai, Qahtan Awni, Hazim al-Tek, the
Central Consultation Office (Mehdi al-Hasani), Said Madhloom, traq
Consult (Rifat Chadirji, Abdallah Ihsan Kamil and thsan Shirzad), and
Maath Alousi, among others.
The dynamic growth and progress of fraq in the following two
decades resulted in both the proliferation and maturation of creative
work, Thus, new architectural forms emerged along with new names
on the professional scene, as architectural production sought to meet
the demands of growth, progress, and prosperity.
Several factors fostered creative production in this period: the
boom of the Iraqi economy, particularly resulting from oil production
and sale, the steady increase of the number of Iraqi architects, espe-
cially graduates of the three lraqi architecture schools, the availability
of engineers with different specialities, in addition to the immediate
and positive influence of international architectural achievements on
the practice of local architects. The latter built upon the foundational
period by carefully studying the particularities and elements of the
local built environment, shaped by local climate, building materials,
and construction methods, and by consciously incorporating them
into new architectural and aesthetic configurations. It is natural that
the work of lraqi architects of this period acquired more maturity
and depth. They worked ardently with expert foreign architects from
professional and academic governmental organizations, as well as
reputable foreign firms, such as Polservice and TAC, which worked
on Gropius’ design for Baghdad University in collaboration with
Hisham Munir and partners. As the period presented the protagonists
with numerous opportunities and challenges, the intellectual rigor,
cultural readiness and openness of the architects allowed them to
acquire valuable professional experience. Moreover, famous inter-
national architects were not commissioned as frequently as before.
Government and private organizations employed foreign architects
{mostly from Eastern Europe) for specific consultations and projects.
in the mid-1970s and later, the excessive formal usage of ele-
ments from the Arab and Islamic architectural heritage began. This
phenomenon was paralleled by simplistic interpretations of the issue
of heritage and contemporaneity in architecture and other fields.
The wave of postmodern architecture, which brought some confu-
sion as to architectural goals and processes, paved the way for this
shift in direction. Postmodernism influenced Iraqi architects, espe-
cially in relation to historical symbolism and its incorporation into
contemporary forms.
Architecture in the 1980s and beyond:
a major break
In the 1980s, the launching of major public works transformed
the capital into an enormous construction site. Foreign and Iraqi
architects were given the mission of translating national ambitions
inte monumental architecture. However, the invasion of Kuwait in
1990, the First Gulf War, and the long lasting sanctions that ensued
{1991- 2003) changed the situation. Early on, the Conference
Palace was built (1978 - 1982, Heikki Siren), al-Karkh and Haifa
Street were reconstructed, and an ambitious project to rebuild the
Bab al-Sheikh area was launched. The Abi Nawas Development was
implemented in the mid-1980s (Abbad Al Radi/Planar and Skarup
& Jespersen): this housing complex in brick is remarkable both for
its low-rise silhouette offering a perspective espousing the curve
of the Tigris, and for its solar energy panels on flat roofs, the first
of their kind in Iraq. In addition, the international competition for
the Great State Mosque was initiated in 1982. Local and interna-
tional firms participated, such as Mohamed Makiya and Partners,
Dar al-Amara {Qahtan Madfai), the Technical Studies Bureau (Maath
Alousi), in addition to Robert Venturi, Ricardo Bofill, and Minoru
Takeyama. However, architectural achievements discontinued after
the escalation of the war with lran which began in 1980. The 1990s
saw major events that changed the course of architectural produc-
tion in fraq, to the point that it virtually ceased during the years of the
sanctions, except for the work of the Architecture Department of the
Presidential Office. However, this work utilized a poor architectural
language and approach, replete with ornamentation.
Current Challenges
Anew war and military occupation took place in 2008, rendering it
nearly impossible to produce decent architecture, as architectural
creation understandably declined. The country is currently undergo-
ing political and societal redefinition, amidst a context of terrorist
violence which renders possible urban renewal secondary to urgent
security issues. Nevertheless, individual projects are envisioned in
Baghdad, such as the winning competition entry for the General
Secretariat of the Council of Ministers in the Baghdad Green Zone
by Manhal al-Habbobi and CAP Consultants (2011), in addition to sev-
eral projects by Zaha Hadid Architects: the new Parliament Building
in Mansour (2011), the Central Bank in Jadriya, and the Opera House
in Salhiya.
As for the general urban landscape across the country, numerous
buildings are disfigured by heterogeneous ornamentation consisting
of marble, stone, and aluminum paneling. In such an unstable situation,
one can only witness a degradation — hopefully temporary — of build-
ing, aesthetic, and urban qualities. Nevertheless, excellent restoration
works have been recently done on two major Modern icons of Baghdad,
which had been bombed and looted in 2003: the Ministry of Planning
by Gio Ponti (1962) on the west bank of the Tigris, and the Central Post
and Telegraph Building by Rifat Chadirji (1972) on the east bank —both
positive signs in an otherwise gloomy context.
Translated from Arabic by Lotfi al-Salah
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العمارة في العراق من عام 1916 حتى 2016:
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مختارات من عمارة العالم العربي 1914-2014

تاريخ

2014

المنشئ

جورج عربيد