Research of Dubai (UAE Culture and Architecture

8/12/2019 Research of Dubai (UAE Culture and Architecture

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Research about the UAE

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Building materials were simple but were superbly adapted to the demands of lifestyle and climate. Easily portable tents provided shelter during tribal wanderings in the winter season. During the summer

months spent in the date-palm plantations, home was an airy arishmade of palm fronds.

Arishwere also common in the coastal fishing, pearling and trading settlements. Inland more permanent houses were built of stone guss (mud mixture made into blocks) and were

roofed with palm trees leaves.

Fossilized coral, cut in blocks, bonded withsarooj(a blend of Iranian red clay and manure), or a limemixture derived from seashells, and plastered with chalk and water paste, was used extensively in

coastal regions.

These materials have very low thermal conductivity and were therefore ideally suited for the hot andarid climate.

Privacy and ventilation were important influences in the layout of the houses. A central interior courtyard onto which all the rooms opened was restricted to family use. Cooking facilities were located at one end of the courtyard which also functioned as an eating and

sleeping area in the hot summer months.

The majilisor meeting rooms where the male members of the family entertained male guests wereseparate from the family quarters.

Although layout and nature materials helped in providing cool interiors, in many cases additionalfeatures such as windtowers were also used to improve ventilation.

Decorative detail was confined to colourful floor rugs, intricate wooden lattice work on windows andornate wooden outer doors.

Decorative patterns were modelled on traditional Islamic designs. The United Arab Emirates has a diverse and multicultural society. Emirati culture mainly revolves around

the religion of Islam and traditional Arab, and Bedouin culture.

Being a highly cosmopolitan society, the UAE has a diverse and vibrant culture. Traditional Architecture in UAE is mainly in the form of vernacular style. This kind of architecture show the environmental, cultural and historical context of the building in which it

exists. It is usually fundamental and simple, but some has a valuable design.


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(Dubais amazing skyline)Above image shows Dubai amazing skyline with the BurjDubai, one of the worlds most

expensive hotels, towering over the city.

The traditional architecture of UAE is basically the result of two main factors: the hot and humid climateand peoples social lives and religion.

The first architectural elements for a constructions in the country to sustain and maintain its hot weather isthe traditional architectural wind-towers, called in Arabic barajils.

Houses used this in the early twentieth century as simple air condition. Wind-towers have four open sides,each of which is hollowed into a concave v-shape, which deflects the wind down, cooling the rooms below.

Water thrown on the floor beneath the tower cools the house as the water evaporates. When cool air is not necessary, the vents can be closed.


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(Gouraud)

The Image above is from a beautifully restored and maintained Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum house in Dubai. Its

traditional design has inspired some of the modern architecture.

(Jonnyh)


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An old picture of Dubai houses that shows the wind tower as a significant element of the house structure.

(Al Qasr Hotel)

This picture show the Al Qasr Hotel, a modern articecture that has the traditional design elements specially the

wind towers.


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(Mina ASalam)

The above picture view the wonderful tradition wind towers design, this is Mina ASalam in Dubai (near BurjAlarab).


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A modern house in (Bain Al-jsrain) Abu-Dhabi with wind tower as part of its design.

The second tradition elements for the hot weather is that buildings were constructed close to each other andhave narrow alleys between them, called in Arabicsikkas.

These alleys are shaded during the day because of the walls of the houses or the tall buildings. People benefit from these narrow alleys because they assist the fresh winds from the north to pass to

circulate freely

It also create an easier transportation between these buildings.


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(alleyway)

an old alleys between a house and its neighbor house, this picture was taken in Al-Ain city.


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(old Khalidyah from the sky)

This picture shows how houses used to be organized in Khalidyah (located near Cornish street) in Abu-Dhabi.


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Alleys still exist in UAE, this picture was taken from Al-Buteen town in Abu-Dhabi.


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(Khalidyah from Google earth)

This picture shows how houses are organized in UAE, specially in khalidyah town. The narrow alleyways are clear

in this image.

The second part of the tradition elements is the effect peoples social lives and Islamic religion on thevernacular architecture of the country.

This effect concluded the reason why the rooms of the home generally faces the courtyard. The exterior walls of these houses have with a small amount of windows or some ventilation holes high up

in the wall.

This is because of modesty and privacy that peoples social lives and their religion advance.


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(Al Jahili fort)

The Al Jahili Fort was built in 1898 by Sheikh Zayed the Great in Al-ain city. It shows the ventilation holes high up

in the wall.


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(Old Town in the Heritage District)

This image was taken in Sharjah, it is the Heritage District. It shows a traditional plan wall with small windows on

top.

Islamic architecture has covered a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation ofIslam by the prophet Mohamed (pbuh)to our present day.

It has influenced the design and construction of buildings and structures inside the Islamic culture. Thestandard architectural types of Islamic architecture are; the Tomb, the Mosque, the Fort and the Palace.

There is never one type of decoration for one type of building or object; on the contrary, there aredecorative principles that are pan-Islamic and applicable to all types of buildings and objects at all times

Islamic architecture elements of decoration are Calligraphy, Geometry, Floral patterns, and water. Calligraphy is considered one of the most important of the Islamic arts, its words may be a quote from the

Quran, lines of poetry, or names and dates.


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A house in Sas Al-Nakeel in Abu-Dhabi that has a simple Islamic calligraphy design on top of it.


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A modern house designed as tradition UAE houses and have some Islamic calligraphy, this house is located in (Bain

Al-Jsrain) Abu-Dhabi.


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This picture shows a part of a mosque designed like Al-Aqsa mosque in Palestine. It have brilliant Islamic

calligraphy, it is located in Sas Al-Nakeel / Abu-Dhabi.


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Another Islamic architecture element is geometric patterns, it is to an extend complex and sophistic. These patterns demonstrate the Islamic interest in repetition, symmetry and continuous generation of

pattern

This is a side picture of a house in Al-Bateen / Abu-Dhabi; this house windows is designed with nice simple

geometric patterns.


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In this image there is simple but also fancy geometric patterns on the mosque tombs. This picture was taken in (Bain

al-jsrain) in Abu-Dhabi city.


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floral patterns is also an Islamic architectures element. It represent nature, such as flowers, leaves, and trees. They are used as the motifs for the decoration of textiles, objects and buildings.

(sheikh Zayed mosque)

Zayed mosque with wonderful Islamic floral patterns design that shows leaves design on the top and small flowersunder. There is also big leaves drown on the floor.


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Last but not least is the water element, it reflect architecture and multiply the decorative themes andemphasizing the visual axes.

It is usually in hot Islamic climates, water is found in courtyard pools and fountains cools as itdecorates.

The first project I will mention is the worlds tallest building, Burj Khalifa. It is located in the heart ofDubai city downtown. Its design is motivated by the indigenous desert flowers that often appear as

decorative patterns in Islamic architecture, but it also has an engineering purpose: The swirl shapeensures that the mass of the structure lessens as it reaches the top, making the structure steadier

(Burj Khalifa)

This picture show Burj Khalifa unique design that was inspired from desert flowers.


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The second is the Palm island which in also located in Dubai. It is one of the world largest human-madeislands and is built on the coast of the Dubai emirate.

Its shape is designed as a date palm tree and every branch has its individual name. Each branch of the island has a name of date kind, which gives others a chance to know their kinds and

names.

The island have luxurious hotels, residential villas, apartments, ports, water theme parks, restaurants,shopping malls, etc.

(Nakheel Development)

this photo released by Nakheel Development, construction goes on at Jumeira Palm Island in Dubai. It present the

palm design from sky view.


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Another project that I will point out is the most expensive hotel ever built, the Emirates Palace. It is located in the Cornish street in the emirate of Abu-Dhabi. This hotel is full of luxury, It was designed in a modern tradition design that shows the tradition elements

in its exterior look.

In addition to that it has some beautiful Islamic architecture elements, as the tombs, patterns, and windowsdesign.

(Emirates Palace Hotel)

Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, this picture shows its luxury architecture design that have some traditional

elements.


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The forth project is Burj Al-Arab five star hotel, it was built in the shape of a traditional dhow. I think Tom Wright did what was asked from him, Burj Al-Arab now is a synonymous of Dubai city. Its is also in all dubai car number plates.

(Burj Al Arab at sunset)

A beautiful picture of Burj Al-Arab at sunset time that really show the Burj as a traditional dhow.


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References

http://uaearchitecture.wordpress.com/http://www.Google.comwww.wikipedia.com
http://uaearchitecture.wordpress.com/http://www.google.com/http://www.wikipedia.com/http://www.wikipedia.com/http://www.google.com/http://uaearchitecture.wordpress.com/

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Research of Dubai (UAE Culture and Architecture