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Site visit: Barwa Financial District

by CW Staff on Jun 13, 2011

2 Comments

The Barwa Financial District.

According to Philip Oldfield, research coordinator for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the World Cup is likely to transform Doha.

“I would not be surprised if more towers appeared as icons. This could be a combination of towers that are currently proposed, as well as brand-new projects. Eleven years is sufficient time to design and build a super-tall tower from scratch.”

Oldfield added that a tall building could become an icon of the event. “Tall buildings are inherently iconic. Doha’s Aspire Tower was a focal point for the 2006 Asian Games,” he pointed out.

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FEATURED COMMENT

Over the last decade, the architecture in the Middle East if carefully observed somehow seems to make do without any cha

2 Comments

Readers' Comments

ROMI SEBASTIAN (Jan 10, 2012)
DOHA
Qatar

MISSING CULTURAL AND LOGICAL ROOTS
Over the last decade, the architecture in the Middle East if carefully observed somehow seems to make do without any character. The cities are getting choked in a jungle of concrete, steel and glass. Architecture here is needlessly influenced by concepts predominantly from the West. One of the more difficult problems for expatriates in understanding the cities of the Middle East is their relative lack of a public realm. Globalisation has given form to buildings that resemble objects, have match-box designs with unfortunate functional separations. Designs are built burdened by unnecessary stylistic demands. There seems to be this inherent copy-paste mindset among designers. This advocates methods of tweaking ideas from one cultural context and illogically pasting them onto another. As an architect, I often wonder why there is a perception that any element of the Middle East heritage - be it cultural or spiritual ? is identified with the past and backwardness. And the images associated with ?development? or ?progress? does tend to look as if borrowed from elsewhere. This process of disassociating with one?s own heritage is a very harmful one. Being the tallest, biggest and longest does not lend personality to the architecture of a place. Traditional Islamic architecture included many innovative, functional and ecological design principles but none of them have been perpetuated by the new generation architects. As architects, we have to convince the Middle East?s elites and ourselves that the optimistic concept of importing ideas of ?progress? will only kill the character of a place and its public realm. The future of architecture desperately lies in logical design, controlled urban growth and in the acceptance of one?s own cultural roots. Let?s go back to these roots then

J.G (Jun 15, 2011)
Dubai
United Arab Emirates

Qatar not efficient
I left Qatar 2006 and I go back on 2009. Doha remain same or more bad at some areas like central market. Qatar dont have any Project management skills except they give tenders of big oil field projects to international firms and they work independent of government and finish the project. But for city devolopment good town planners and several good Project management firms like in Dubai is required. Qatar lagging in city devolopment skills and they cannot complete the project in 11 years time like in the Asian games. Qatar will remain same as now except some more Gas plants in Ras laffan

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