Across the Border

Atkins provided the design for the striking Bank of Muscat.

It is fair to assume that Oman’s 2011 budget – a massive OMR8.13 billion rials ($21.2b) – will have come as good news for the increasing number of architects and consultants looking to work in the sultanate.

Oman’s bulging wallet has created vast amount of work in the last three years and led firms such as Atkins and WATG to establish a presence in UAE’s formerly sleepy neighbour.

A number of high-profile projects are underway in 2011, including the Royal Opera House in Muscat, the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) and hotels such as the Jabal Akhtar and the Four Seasons Jebel Sifah.

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The Royal Opera House is one of the projects that could enhance the country’s cultural tourism prospects, as well as being an effective trophy project for designers WATG.

“The construction market in Oman is fairly buoyant with major works. The government has recognised that, like Dubai, the economic growth of the country and its future are dependant on attracting investment and tourism which has resulted in many capital works to bring the country in line with other Gulf States,” says Richard Cave, architect at WATG.

But while Dubai faced a problem of oversupply, Oman doesn’t intend on making the same mistakes. Indeed, as vice president of construction at state developer Omran, Nasser Saif Al Maqbali, comments: “We like to test the water before we jump in.”

Rohan Thotabaduge, principal architect with Atkins in Oman, believes that comparisons between the two markets are not useful. “Oman is a very steady, slow market and it’s much more stable here,” he says.

While Cave doesn’t refer to Dubai directly, he says, “Oman is probably behind most of the other states but this gives it the advantage of being able to see examples of potential works and to avoid making the same mistakes as elsewhere.

It is the unspoilt character of the country that the government wishes to retain and it is, careful about the amount and form of development that will be built.”

Oman’s traditionalism in terms of design may be a negative aspect to some, but others feel that change is on its way. Cave says there is definitely potential for the development of contemporary architecture in Oman.

“One is encouraged to present alternatives which include the more extreme outings of architectural design but when a judgment is made at the highest level it is generally the more traditional forms and treatment that the Omanis feel comfortable with.

The WATG Opera House is a case in point. To most western architects this would be seen as a traditional form of building incorporating historical references but detailed in a modern and crisp way to be self evidently a contemporary building.

The Omanis have assessed and labelled this building as ‘Omani Modern’ and use this as an example for other architects to the extent that it has been illustrated on the country’s 50 riyal banknote! A similar architectural middle road has been adopted for the Grand Mosque and our own OCEC project,” he says.

Similarly, the Bank of Muscat is cited as an example of modern Omani architecture by both Al Maqbali and Thotabaduge. Thotabaduge was part of the Atkins team that designed the Bank of Muscat and is proud of the final product.