A Potted History Of Dubai Architecture
from low-rise in Al Bastakiya to Burj Khalifa
THE LIVING SOUL OF DUBAI
WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY
Shamma Suhail
201602242
Fatima Mohammed 201600083 Shamma Al Shamsi 201603158
Supervised By Dr. Ahmed Agiel a.aggiel@uaeu.ac.ar Dr. May Hasan 201690176@uaeu.ac.ae UAEU
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TRAVELS IN THE HISTORY OF DUBAI
ARCTICTURE
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Contents 1. Preface 7 2. Al Bastakia 9 3. Wind Towers 14 4. Turning point 17 5. Dubai today 6. Index
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Preface • For most of us, architecture is easy to take for granted. Its everywhere in our daily lives. sometimes elegant, other times shabby, but generally ubiquitous. Meanwhile we don’t pay attention to the fact that architecture impacts our state of mind and mood. The structure and layout of buildings has a profound impact on us. Building space has a specific impact too on our life. What kind of living space will form the corresponding way of life. but How often do we stop to examine and contemplate its form and style? Stopping for that contemplation offers not only the opportunity to understand one’s daily surroundings, but also to appreciate the beauty of the connection that exists between architectural forms in our own time and those from the past. Architectural tradition and design has the ability to link disparate cultures together over time but its also a subjective field since some people prefer ultra-modern and minimalist, while others are all about traditional design but one thing that is certain: anyone would observe Dubai’s architecture can't help but be impressed by the the aesthetic elements of Dubai's buildings.
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The purpose of this illustrated magazine by our team work was to introduce a simple and adaptable guide for Dubai’s architecture starting from the low rise building history back in the 60s to the industrial revolution changes of the oil in Dubai.
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AL BASTAKIYA
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
DAYS BEFORE OIL The traditional style of life that was prevalent in Dubai from the mid 19th century till the 1970s is reflected at Al-Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, where buildings with high air towers (Barajeel), built with traditional building materials such as stone, gypsum, teak, sandal wood, fronds and palm wood are aligned side by side, separated by alleys, pathways and public squares, which give the district a natural and beautiful diversity.
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Dubai is old. It has existed as a settlement since 3000BC, prospering in a tiny way off the back of traveling trade and local pearl fishing. But there are no remnants of this time (besides some 6th century ruins fenced off in an indifferent way in the back streets of Jumeirah) – all architecture either eroded swiftly by the harsh desert environment or naturally disintegrated due to it’s temporary nature. This is no Rome, Aleppo, Tunisia, Petra or Sanaa. The only buildings erected to last are those that stand more than 50 stories tall, and I wonder if even they will weather the shamals of the Dubai environment – both physical and economic. Bastakiya is the closest we get, since its one of the oldest residential areas in the city of Dubai. Al Bastakiya is named after the Bastak region of Iran, from where many of the residents emigrated. The emigrants are mostly Arabs that have migrated to Iran throughout history, then moved back to Arabia later. The locality lies along Dubai Creek and includes narrow lanes and wind towers, as well as the Al Fahidi Fort, the oldest existing building in Dubai. The construction of Al Bastakiya dates back to the 1890S when it was settled by pearl and textile traders from the Bastak region of Iran. Today many of the traditional homes are open to the public. When you enter one and step into its interior courtyard that give the residents of a home a private outdoor space, which is secure and usable throughout the day. With its natural ventilation, a courtyard helps the house stay appropriately warm or cool without the need for heaters and air conditioners. So you can imagine the beauty and comfort that these well-to-do merchants created for themselves. Bastakia also features lovely traditional details, such as carved wooden doors, decorative grilles, hanging oil lamps, wooden lattice, ceilings and roofs of traditional homes are constructed with hardwood from Zanzibar. What makes Al Bastakiya unique is its architecture. The wind tower,
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called barjeel, is in every house of Al Bastakiya. The number of barjeels a house has indicates the wealth of the owner family. Moreover, the doors of the houses are related to cultural and religious behaviors. For example the main door of the house is large where as the inner door is short, and this is because when men entering the house they should bend down not facing women directly.
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AL BASTAKIYA Architectural details
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Wind tower or Barjeel Its the traditional architecture found throughout the Arabian Gulf, in particular Dubai & Bahrain, and also throughout Persia, parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Its origins go as far back as Ancient Egypt, with examples of wind tower construction dating back to 3100BC. In arid climates the wind tower acts as a ventilation system allowing hot air to rise out the top of it, and cooler directed winds to flow down into the home. Wind tower houses along the Dubai Creek were constructed of palm fronds known as Bait Areesh and was the standard material used for constructing homes in the region pre1900’s. The Coral or Sea Stone home locally known as Bait Morjan was constructed using sea stone and coral from the Dubai Creek which was stacked in a bricking fashion, set with a mixture of mud, sand, gypsum and sometimes limestone. Later the building was covered with a layer of sand, mud and rock for added insulation and protection. The oldest of these types of homes date back to the late 1800’s. Historians attribute the abrupt change in building materials to a fire that swept through the Deira side of Creek in 1894, virtually destroying most of the market and surrounding Areesh homes. Residents looked to a more
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fire resistant material in the construction of their homes and sea stone and coral were readily available. At the turn the 20th century these buildings were considered to be the best type of home, and in the early 1900’s only a few landmarks, such as the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House in Al Shindagah were built of sea stone and coral using wind tower technology. In the past these types of buildings signified wealth and status. The later more elaborate homes were built with a central courtyard or majlis commonly seen in Islamic architecture, and the wind towers would be situated on one or more exterior rooms. This type of construction became more common as merchants and traders, and local families settled along the Dubai Creek and their living conditions gradually improved. The homes along the Dubai’s Creek eastern shore in Bur Dubai are separated into two sections, the Al Fahidi Historic District (formerly known as Al Bastakiya) and Al Shindagah where the Al Maktoum’s ruling family resided. The neighborhoods are divided by the Souq Al Kabir or Meena Bazzar, In the 1980’s a restoration project began to preserve these
original homes along the Dubai Creek. The area known as Al Fahidi Historic District, (Al Bastakiya) is the center of the restoration effort and the neighborhood, open to the public contains more than 55 homes. The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding has called this neighborhood home since 2004, and occupies one of the original wind tower houses. Visitors can take a tour of the neighborhood with the centre year round. The second phase of restoration is continuing in Al Shindagah area and currently you will find a labyrinth of historic homes
and Mosques, as well as the Diving Village. The Sheikh Saeed House now a museum, is one the original residences of the ruling family and formerly the seat of government in Dubai. These historic areas are open year round, but the best times to visit are in the cooler months
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so that you can spend more time in the beautiful neighborhoods meandering through the homes, art galleries, restaurants, boutique hotels, museums and cultural centre.
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