Middle Eastern heritage and traditions in modern architecture of the Arab Emirates

Authors

  • Ekaterina A. Akimova Saint Petersburg Repin State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture

Abstract

This article considers the possibility of synthesizing new architectural forms, technological progress, the Arab architectural tradition, heritage and symbols, on the example of Abu Dhabi. The development of modern architecture in Abu Dhabi can be divided into several stages, each of which is strongly associated with the economic processes taking place in the country. Urban construction of low buildings in Abu Dhabi in late 20th century, thanks to the economic recovery, gradually transformed into high-rise construction. There was a well-known practice of attracting foreign architects and application of technological innovations. By the early 21st century, the city came up with a completely developed urban planning system, but with certain pretentious trends which in no way reflect regional identity. The desire of the authorities to efficiency and approval of prestige in architecture has resulted in the imposition of the urban environment futuristic architectural images in dissonance with the historical environment, religion and tradition. Architectural conflict of ideas at the beginning of the first decade of the 21st century was resolved by including of concepts of the historical traditions and cultural heritage of the emirate in modern construction. In a complicated dialogue of the modern architecture and regional heritage, a new architectural language appears, which embodies the concept of international and regional architectural space. They are united by rationalization and innovative approach to the traditional architectural elements, which retain their functionality. Thanks to the balance between the past and the present, modern architecture of Abu Dhabi manages to retain a unique image of architectural space of the city, to find a regional color and retain historical and architectural significance.

Keywords:

architecture of Abu Dhabi, the Arabic tradition, cultural heritage, Mashraba, diagrid, modern architecture of Emirates

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Author Biography

Ekaterina A. Akimova , Saint Petersburg Repin State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture

art critic, graduate student of the Department of history and theory of architecture

References

Литература

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5. Elsheshtawy Ya. The Production of Culture: Abu Dhabi’s Urban Strategies // Cultures and globalization: Cities, cultural policy and governance / eds Anheier H. K., Isar Yu. R. London: SAGE, 2012. 472 p.

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References

1. The evolving Arab city: Tradition, modernity and urban development, ed. by Ya. Elsheshtawy. Routledge, 2008. 328 p.

2. Kenzari B., Elsheshtawy Ya. The ambiguous veil: On transparency, the mashrabiy’ya, and architecture, Journal of Architectural Education. 2003. Vol. 56, N 4. P. 17–25.

3. AboulNaga M. M., Elsheshtawy Ya. Environmental sustainability assessment of buildings in hot climates: the case of the UAE, Journal Renewable Energy. 2001. Vol. 24, N 3–4. P. 553–563.

4. Elsheshtawy Ya. Cities of sand and fog: Abu Dhabi’s global ambitions, The evolving Arab city: tradition, modernity, and urban development, ed. by Ya. Elsheshtawy. Routledge, 2008. P. 258–304.

5. Elsheshtawy Ya. The Production of Culture: Abu Dhabi’s Urban Strategies, Cultures and globalization: Cities, cultural policy and governance, eds Anheier H. K., Isar Yu. R. London: SAGE, 2012. 472 p.

6. Elsheshtawy Ya. From souqs to emporiums: the urban transformation of Abu Dhabi, Open House International. 2013. Vol. 38, N 4. P. 58–69.

7. Elsheshtawy Ya. Planning Middle Eastern cities: An urban kaleidoscope. Routledge, 2004. 224 p.

8. Elsheshtawy Ya. Politicizing tradition: The reconstruction of Abu Dhabi’s central market, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review. 2008. Vol. 20, N 1. P. 29–30.

9. Dempsey M. C. Castles in the Sand: A city planner in Abu Dhabi. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2014. 220 p.

10. Al Manakh: Gulf continued, ed. by R. Koolhaas. Archis Foundation, 2010. 536 p.

11. Katodrytis G. The Dubai Experiment, Al Manakh, ed. by R. Koolhaas. Archis Foundation, 2007. P. 38–48.

12. Jackson P., Coles A. A Wind-Tower House in Dubai. London: Art and architectural research papers, 1975. 28 p.

13. Moniem A. Traditional Islamic-Arab House: Vocabulary And Syntax, International Journal of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Vol. 10, N 4. P. 15–20.

14. Broug E. Islamic Geometric Patterns. London: Thames & Hudson, 2008. 128 p.

15. Roaf S. The Traditional Technology Trap: Stereotypes of the Middle Eastern traditional building types and technologies? International Conference “Passive and Low Energy Cooling for the Built Environment”, May 2005, Santorini, Greece. P. 1053–1057.

16. Roaf S. Badgir (Iran’s Ancient Air Conditioning System), Encyclopedia Iranica. URL: http:// www.iranicaonline.org/articles/badgir-traditional-structure-for-passive-air-conditioning (accessed: 31.09.2014).

17. Ahmadkhani Maleki B. Wind catcher: passive and low energy cooling system in Iranian vernacular architecture. Technical and Physical Problems of Engineering. 2011. Vol. 3, iss. 8, N 3. P. 130–137.

18. Hawker R. Tribe, house style, and the town layout of Jazirat al-Hamra, Ras al-Khaimah, UAE. Proceedings of the Seminar for arabian studies, Oxford, UK: Archaeopress. 2006. Vol. 36. P. 189–198.

19. Hawker R. Traditional Architecture in the Arabian Gulf: Building on Desert Tides. Boston: WIT Press, 2008. 252 p.

20. Hawker R. Not Just Another Pretty Face. Exploring the analytical and educational possibilities of virtual reconstructions and new media applications in the heritage architecture of the United Arab Emirates, ASCAAD 2010 conference paper Fez, Morocco. P. 249–260.

21. El-Amrousi M., Biln J. Abu Dhabi: Global changes and competing visions of modernity, International Journal of Engineering Technology. 2013. Vol. 2, N 2. P. 84–92.

22. El-Amrousi M., Bil J. Abu Dhabi Forms and Fragments, International Journal of Islamic Architecture. Intellect Publishing. 2013. P. 349–367.

23. Chkhandog'ia Upanishada, per. s sanskr. A. Ia. Syrkina. M.: Nauka, 1965.

24. An Arab “wind tower”, Popular Mechanics. 1913. Vol. 19, N 2. P. 205–206.

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Published

2015-03-11

How to Cite

Akimova , E. A. . (2015). Middle Eastern heritage and traditions in modern architecture of the Arab Emirates. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Arts, 5(1), 122–133. Retrieved from https://artsjournal.spbu.ru/article/view/2318

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2015)

Section

Architecture

License

Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Arts" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.