STORY OF DOHABetween Pearl, Oil & Knowledge

22nd FEB 2016

Khaled Tamim Nassar

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Story of A City Called Doha

Presentation Goals

• Main Elements of Traditional Qatari Architecture

• Forces & Features Shaping the City• Trace the Architectural Qatari style

since The Oil Boom• Where are we going?

• Who will shape the facade of Doha? And How?

• Vision for the Future

PEARL ERA- PRE OILUp to 1940

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Pre-Oil• Coastal City (Wadi Al Sail for natural

water, defensive topography)

• Economy based on Fishing & Pearl Trade

• Population 14,000 at 1950

• Most of the population were Qatari tribes, and also Persian, Arab, & African immigrants.

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Doha Urban Fabric 1940

• Each population living in a separate Fareej.

• All mixed at Port, Souq & Mouseq.

• All Buildings were low rise, wall to wall.

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• Strong Social bonds• Security • Ecological & economical benefits

Al Fareej (Cluster of Buildings for Extended Families)

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Conceptual Section of Traditional Qatari House

• Dwellings driven by Climate, Culture, Earth Materials & Economy.

• Thick Stone & Mud walls

• Limited openings to the outdoors

• Cooling System (Court yard, Wind towers, Horizontal openings at roof parapet walls)

High Temperatures Reaching Over 40C

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• Court yard houses

• Introverted

• High degree of family privacy

• Inherited building knowledge

• Local Material (Palm Trunk, coral, stones and mud)

• Eco-Design for desert coastal climate

Doha House Pre Oil

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Doha Elevations – Pearl Era

• Wind Towers (Traditional ACs)

• Non Symmetrical

• Heritage ornaments

• Minimal openings to outside,

• Mashrabiya (perforated wooden window filter of wind & light)

OIL ERAThe Boom

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Doha Evolution

Dates & Events Shaped Doha

1947-2014

1949 Exporting Oil

1955 Streets, Infrastructure

1960 Electricity, AC

1971 Independence

1970-80 Importing

1995 Open Market

2008 Vision 2030

2010 Wining 2022

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Gated Communities

• Segregated neighborhoods

• Foreign Architectural language

• Non-homogeneous city façades

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West Bay Evolution

From 1995 to 2014. Less than 20 years!

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QP Navigation Building – C Ring

Abstracting features of Traditional Qatari style start to appear

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Gulf Times – C Ring

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Al Fardan Complex – C Ring

Traditional Qatari style with new Materials

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Al Emadi Financial Square – C Ring

Minimalist Qatari style start to appear

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Al Mana Towers – C Ring

Modern reinterpretation of Al Wakra Fort

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LAS, QF Headquarter, Dorms, Student Center, Ceremonial Court

Education City

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LAS – Education City

Mashrabiya have enlarged to be the building envelope

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Wind Towers working as part of HVAC

Court yards back roofed by sky lights

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Student Dorms- Education City

“Wind Towers” transformed to “Wind Panels” generating sustainable energy

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Student Dorms- Local Inspiration - Fanar

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QF Head Quarter - OMA

Pure Abstract Geometry

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QF Head Quarter - OMA

Pixilated facade concept

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Student Center – Education City - LEGORRETA

Abstracting Mashrabiya , new materials (Steel)

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Student Center – Exterior Elevations

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Student Center – Courtyard

Court yard walls with organic patterns

Casting patterns by shade & shadow

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Student Center – Courtyard Panoramic

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Inspirations

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Burj Doha – NouvelDome for city view

Inspiration Pigeons Tower

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Barazan Tower - AEB

Reconciliation between Heritage & Modernity

Graffiti presented on Facade for the First time

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*Nominated for Aga Khan Award in 2004

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Zig Zag Towers – The first Urban Oasis

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Zig Zag Towers – MZP

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Zig Zag Towers - Lagoona Mall

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Doha Elevations – Oil Era

• Wind Towers (Symbolic)

• Symmetrical

• Contemporary Heritage ornaments (Transformed to basic geometry)

• Modern Material/ Building techniques

• Mashrabiya (Abstract shapes, enlarged scale, varied use )

Ceremonial Court - KEO

KNOWLEDGE ERA – POST OIL Urban Oasis

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Doha Regenerated City Center

Msheireb

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Significance of Msheireb• Contemporary- Minimalist Qatari Architectural Style.

• Mixed use development for ALL Doha Residences.

• Brought back (Courtyards, Al Fareej, Sika, Mashrabiah, Public Urban Spaces)

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Msheireb – Courtyard utilization

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Doha Oasis – ARUP, AECOM

Vertical Court yards

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Doha Oasis – Fareej Courtyard

Continuous facade

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Urban Oasis- Public spaces/parks

*Bahrain

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Mall of Qatar - UCC

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Private Contemporary Oasis- Sanzpont

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Private Contemporary Oasis- Sanzpont

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Inspiration & Concept

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Doha Elevations – Knowledge Era

• Wind Towers (Functional Arch Element)

• Semi-Symmetrical

• Minimalist Heritage ornaments

• High Tech Material/ Building techniques

• Mashrabiya (Vertical, Horizontal, Movable)

• Integrated Court yards with land scape & water features (Urban, Dwelling)

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Future of Doha Developments & Facades

• Ecological sustainability

• Renaissance of court yard

• Introverted Spaces ¨Urban Oasis¨

• Transport Oriented Development TOD

• Embracing Heritage and Culture

• Contemporary & high-tech building Materials/Techniques

• Constant Urban corridors between developments (NO Gated Compounds)

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Conclusion

Collaborative Efforts

• Qatar has the opportunity to approach solid ground for Contemporary Gulf Architectural Style.

• By celebrating the vision of 2030 which embraces the culture as well as encourages the human creative spirit.

• Consultancies will strive to attain the knowledge, awareness, and responsibility of designing well fabricated developments for the Gulf region and it’s people.

• Collective efforts of legislation and regulation need to ensure the vision is within reach.

Now we have the knowledge,

let’s work on it!