Contemporary Arab Architecture
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Contemporary Arab Architecture Toward an Islamic Identity country in which it is located, thereby taking on a regional identity. This assimila This is an introduction and first in a series of tion can be seen in North Africa, Iraq, articles which will attempt to examine contribu Sudan, Persia, Indonesia, and even - in tions made by Arab architects to the tranifo17na first attempts - in the new Islamic centres tion of the contemporary environment in their in Madrid, Rome, Chicago and other cities countries. The articles will cover the writings and in Europe and America. But, in whatever buildings of Hassan Fathy and other Egyptian country one finds Islamic architecture, as architects, working today in Egypt and other diverse as it might be, its Islamic identity is countries such as Japan, Canada, Germany and always visible. Saudi Arabia. Other articles will look into Iraq, To a large extent contemporary Arab which developed its own architectural importance architecture is dominated by Western influ through the influence of Mohamed Saleh Makiya, ence which manifests itself in technology and the Arab architects working in Morocco, and new building types which were un Algeria, Tunisia, Lybia, Syria, Jordan, Leba known in traditional Islarllic architecture. non, Sudan and the Arab Peninsula. The Fazlur R Khan, one of the revolutionary common denominator of the architects from these innovators of Western technology, defined countries is their search for identity, which is a these relations in his paper at the First fundamental necessity in order to continue the Seminar of the Aga Khan A ward for great tradition of Islamic architecture. Architecture in 1978. Talking about "The Islamic Environment: Can Future Learn n his introduction to the book from the Past?" He said: "The force of "Architecture of the Islamic modem technology, whose base is primari World", edited by George Michell, ly Europe and America, is so overwhelm I Ernst J Grube asked the question, ing, so deceptively attractive to these coun "What is Islamic Architecture?" In tries and so responsive to their desire for fast his attempt to define its specific construction of unprecedented scale and = traditional characteristics, Grube re volume that it is almost impossible to resist fers to the concentration given to the in the temptation to copy, by-and-large, their terior space, the continuous experience of methods, forms and technology". the architecture as part of the urban fabric This statement accurately reflects the which Grube terms "hidden architecture", current architectural situation in the Arab and the non-representational appearance states which is a mid-way expression be and the meaningful application of decora tween Western technology and the re tion. But Grube only refers to the character discovery of Arab tradition. Representative istics of Islamic architecture of the past of this ambivalence are buildings by several without taking its contemporary manifesta Arab architects. A house by the Moroccan tions into consideration. Tradition is only architect Mourad Ben Embarek in Rabat of valid when re-validated every generation; 1968-1970 reveals the Scandinavian back when the continuity of past developments ground of his education, in spite of his are appreciated not only by scholars admir dedicated attempt to overcome foreign ing things lost and forgotten but also by architectural forms. His airport building in contemporary architects who are capable of Casablanca is his expression of a new inde continuing tradition and adding new phases pendent Moroccan architecture based on to it. the most advanced modem technology. Contemporary Arab architects in many Two other Moroccan architects Abdesien of the Arab states are attempting to do this Faraoui and Patrice de Mazieres were based by reviewing Arab architecture of the past, on French tradition in their Family Planning selecting those works which they consider Centre in Rabat in 1976, but used imagina of value and creating their own models for tive forms of Moroccan tradition, harmo today. Preservation of values rather than nising it with the landscape and climate, in preservation of forms or ornamental detail their hotel building in Boumalne du Dades is, as in all creative cultural revolutions, a of 1972-1974. reinforcement of identity. Only with a Architects from Iraq and Jordan such as living history can the self be found and Rifat Chadirji and Rasem Badran come expressed, only with roots is growth close to revitalising the traditional Arab possible. house, not by using formalistic adaptations One of the main characteristics of the but by taking the essential values and recon Islamic tradition is diversity in unity, the stituting them to suit contemporary needs. assimilation and adaptation of existing Chadirji's Villa Hamood in Baghdad of cultural values with regional differentia 1970-1972 and Badran's Villa Handal in tions. The Muslim religion is based on Amman of 1975-1977 are outstanding ex reconciliation, the harmonious relation be amples of contemporary Arab architecture. tween something new and something Text by Professor Udo already in existence. Islamic architecture Top right and right: Hotel in Boumalne du Dades, Kultermann. Photographs which is based on this same principle Southern Morocco , 1974. Architects: Abdesil'lI courtesy of respective assimilates the architectural language of the Faraoui and Patrice de Mazieres. til architectural firms. 74 75 But there are other building schemes, some of them large scale universities, mosques and new cities in line with the Islamic tradition and the pragmatic requirements of contemporary Arab society. Jafar Tukan's and Kenzo Tange's Yarmouk University in Jordan is an example of carefully considered campus planning. Every aspect of an academic community has been integrated into the traditional patterns of Arab plan nirig schemes creating a harmonious synth esis of old and new. The campus for the Gulf University by Kamal El Kafrawi in Doha, which was begun in 1980, is a good example of programatically integrating tra ditional features that have proven efficient over years into a modem and contemporary building programme. The cooling system of the old wind-tower houses in the Gulf region have been made part of the contem porary design relating the old Arab tradition with a new task. ',. ~- v .... .;··_~ -",", :~' .• w.,,;~~ '-~ • \,_~ .;..",J;'.I Top: Villa Ayad Hamood, Baghdad, Iraq, 1972. Architect: Rifat Chadiriji (Iraq Consult). Above: Villa Handal, Amman, Jordan 1977. Architect: Rassem Badran. Right: Port Authority Headquarters, Riyadh, 1979. Architect: Zuhair Fayez. Photograph: Thorp Model makers Limited. Special emphasis has been given to relat ing recent construction of mosques to the Islamic past. The most prominent example of this can be seen in the Kuwait State Mosque by the architect Mohamed Saleh Makiya. Now under construction, this mosque, as well as other mosques by Makiya, combines past and present, which is a necessity in the perpetuation of culture. New independent works by architects from Saudi Arabia such as the palaces or the Port Authority Headquarters in Riyadh of 1979 by the architect Zuhair Fayez or the social buildings and markets by the Beeah Group Consultants signify the changing situation 76 ------------------------------------------~~~~~~~ of architects in Arab countnes who are now their radical traditional shape created new capable of competing with architects from concepts for architecture in general. all over the world. Arab architects no doubt In 1945-1947 Hassan Fathy built, accord feel a sense of self-esteem and pride as they ing to his earlier theories of adapting mud face this new challenge. brick for contemporary architecture, the The identity of Arab architecture seen in village of New Gouma in upper Egypt near the context of works by large international Luxor which has become a symbol of firms based on high technology may appear architecture of the Third world. The En simple and less sophisticated. But, the basic glish architectural critic J. M. Richards cons spiritual dedication which prevails is com idered it a masterpiece after a visit in 1967 pensation for the scientific expertise of the and wrote in "The Architectural Review": foreigners. Saba George Shiber, the great "Its basic geometry of cube and vault and Arabian planner was aware of this as early rectangle emphasised by the deep shadows as 1963 when he wrote: "Today, not only cast by the Egyptian sun, appeared as the in the Arab world but elsewhere, perhaps essence of architecture itself" what is needed most is not merely technical But, Gouma is more than formal skill and knowledge, but wisdom .... " The architecture of high quality, it is architecture know-how in matters of technology may as a process in which the designer, builder be better handled for the time being by and user work in a harmonious rela firms such as Skidmore, Owings and Mer tionship. New Gouma is in line with tradi rill, Kenzo Tange, Rolf Gutbrod and Frei tional ways of living and at the same time Otto and the Architects' Collaborative, and constitutes a contemporary type of rural that is just as well. What is more important architecture. The emphasis was placed on a in the Arab States right now is not technol group of clients who had been forgotten in ogy or the transfer of technology which has modem times: " ... no architect normally been developed in other countries but the designs for peasants in the villages. No revitalisation of the Arab past, along with peasant can ever dream of employing an an appropriate amount of technology which architect, and no architect ever dreams of is needed for specific tasks. Too much working with the miserable resources of the technology and its inappropriate use can be peasant. The architect designs for the rich enormously harmful, therefore a balance has to be found which is based on human concern and the specific needs of the Arab world. A step in this direction has already been taken by the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy in his writings, teaching and build mgs.