An Observation in Context (Or Without)

By Arthur Chia

There is a pile of ancient rocks, set within earthworks in Wiltshire, that is probably more popular than a lot of tourist attractions in the United Kingdom. This pile of rocks, sometimes referred to as a prehistoric monument, is widely known as Stonehenge. In 2013 alone, the monument has attracted 1,241,296 visitors, placing it in the Top 25 visitor attractions in the country.

The Stonehenge visitors centre opened to the public in December 2013. The £27m project aims to facilitate the visit to the monument and provide more insight to the visitors with exhibitions and more information. It is built roughly two kilometres away and now acts as the entrance building to the monument and its surrounding landscape.

The presence of a building that resonates with the intriguing nature of the monument presents itself as a companion and a friend. We willingly accept the nature of the emergence of the architecture that surrounds these monuments and embrace them as an addition to the landscape and usually not without doubt. However, the emergence of architecture surrounding fascinating monuments sometimes do require a certain level of consideration.

In the Islamic holy month of 2013, 1.6 million Muslims undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca. The Ka’aba is at the heart of Mecca, a cuboid building that sits within the sacred Muslim mosque, Masjid al-Haram. The monument is believed to have been built by the prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael, which is indeed then, a fascinating monument in the modern world. During the holy month of Hajj, the pilgrims would circumambulate the Ka’aba seven times, the ritual of which takes place in the mosque.

Masjid al-Haram is the largest mosque in the world. It covers a floor area of 356,800m2 and has the capacity to allow up to four million worshippers to pray in its outdoor and indoor praying spaces.

With such a great number of visitors to the city every year, the need for accommodation has triggered a wide and large architectural response. In what seems like a callous planning exercise in Mecca, the second tallest structure in the world is built next to the sacred mosque. The clock tower, Abraj Al-Bait Towers complex, stands at a towering 601m, and is only second to the Burj Khalifa in height. Unsurprisingly, the complex dwarves the sacred mosque.

In the construction of the monstrosity of the towers, an Ottoman citadel which sat on a hill overlooking the sacred mosque was demolished. What is even more outrageous is the fact that the Saudi government made the decision to destroy the late 18th century citadel to make way for the complex. The decision was met with a global outcry that then stirred both domestic and international protest. The protests, as expected, fell on deaf ears; and the construction of the towers soon started.

“Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context – a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.” - Eero

Saarinen

However “alien” an architecture is within its context, it is not without consideration of its mass, its scale and its purpose within the society that it serves. Architecture is shaped by the desires of the designer and informed by the context that it sits within. It may be a fascination to the eye or a wonder of the world but it will be duly appreciated if it is designed to be in harmony with or as an addition to its landscape.