ARCHITECTURE RE-INTRODUCED: NEW PROJECTS IN SOCIETIES IN CHANGE

EDITED BY JAMAL ABED

THE AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE Architecture Re-introduced: New Projects in Societies in Change

Jamal Abed, ed.

Regional seminar held in the department of Architecture and design at the American University of Beirut November 1999

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture Hana Alamuddin, Seminar Organizer Fadi Zghreib, Cover Photography

Designed by Barbara Cipriani Contents

007 List of Participants

Opening ceremony

009 Opening remarks by Suha Ozkan

011 Lecture by Charles Correa

Session1 :Urban design and Architecture in Lebanon

022 Introduction by Rifat Chadirji

023 The genesis of Modern Architecture in Beirut, 1840-1940 by Robert Saliba

035 Renewal of central Beirut: The BCD Master Plan and the shaping of architectural form by Angus Gavin

042 The Architectural Profession in Lebanon by Assem Salam

045 Notes on the Art of Selling Cities: Urban Design Strategies in the New Downtown Beirut by Jamal Abed

Session 2 :Urban design and Architecture in Gulf Arabic countries

055 Introduction byTalal Akili

056 Opening comments by Assem Salam

059 Architecture in Saudi Arabia by Basem Shihabi

062 Contemporary architecture of Bahrain by Ahmed Bucheery

070 Kuwait Contemporary Architecture by Osama Al Duaig 072 Aspects of the Modern Arab/Islamic City: Architecture and Urban Fabric in Abu Dhabi by Abbad Al Radi

077 Architecture Re-introduced: New Projects in Dubai-United Arab Emirates by Rashad Bukhash

Session 3: Urban design and Architecture in Egypt and Bilad Al-Shem

079 Introduction by Nader Ardalan

080 Contemporary Architecture in Egypt by Ashraf M. A. Salameh

101 Architecture and Urban Developments on the Central Lebanese Coast by Eric Huybrechts

104 The Architecture Experience in Jordan During the Nineties by Bilal Hammad

107 Architecture of the Nineties in Iraq by Suad A. Ali Mehdi

114 Contemporary Architecture in Syria by Maan Chibli List of Abbad Al-Radi Eleanor Curtis Iraqi architect, partner of the firm Writer and phtographer, London, UK participants Planar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Peter Davey Editor, “The Architectural Review”, Jamal Abed Selma Al-Radi London, UK Assoc. Professor, Department of Iraqi archaeologist, director of the Architecture and Design, American ‘Amiriya Madrasa rstoration, Rada’, Habib Debs University of Beirut Yemen; member of the Steering Principal, Urbi Architects and Planners, Committee of the Aga Khan Award for Beirut; lecturer at ALBA University Amyn Ahamed rchitecture Information officer, Segretariat of his Farrokh Derakhshani Highness The Aga Khan, Gouviex, Georges Arbid Iranian architect, Director of Award France Architect in private practice, Beirut; Procedures, The Aga Khan Award for doctoral candidate in design, Harvard Architecture, Geneva, Switzerland Talal Akili University, USA Dean, Faculty of Architecture, Angus Gavin University of Damascus, Syria Nader Ardalan and Mrs. Shahla Planning advisor of the Chairman, Ardalan Solidère, Beirut Hana Alamuddin Iranian architect, Senior Vice President Principal, Al Mimariya Architects and and Director of Design, KEO Samir Ghawi Designers, Beirut; lecturer at the International Consultants,Kuwait Head of Architecture Section, Order American University of Beirut of Engineers and Architects, Beirut Khaled Asfour Mohammad Al-Asad and Mrs Reem Architect and professor at Misr Bilal Hammad and Mrs. Nida’ Aslan International University, Cairo, Egypt Massannat Director, Centre for the Study of the Architect in private practice, Amman, Built Environment, Amman, Jordan Ahmed Bucheery Jordan Managing Director, Gulf House Osama I. Al-Duaij Engineering Architects and Engineers, Mohammad Harajli Director of the Department of Manama, Bahrain Acting Dean, Faculty of Engineering Environmental Affairs, Municipality of and Architecture, American University Kuwait Rashad M.Bukhash of Beirut Head of historical Buildings Section, Abdullah Al- Hadrami Dubai, United ArabsEmirates Eric Huybrechts Restoration architect in private practice, French Architect, Direct. for Centre for Sana’a, Yemen Rifa Chadirji the Study and Reconstruction of Beirut Iraqi Architect, Director of the Chadirji Sultan Al-Harithy Research Centre, London, Uk Abdel Halim Jabr Director General, Muscat Planning, Partner, Bawader Architects, Beirut; Ministry of Housing, Oman Maan Chibli lecturer at the American University of Associate Professor, Faculty of Beiriut Suad Ali Mahdi Architecture, University of Aleppo, Syria Assistant Professor, School of Ibrahim M. Jaidah Architecture, Baghdad University, Iraq Professor Charles Correa and Mrs. Arab Engineering Bureau, Doha, Qatar Monica Correa Shiraz Allibhai Indian architect in private practice, Sany Jamal Education and Culture programme Bombay; member of the Steering President of the Architectural officer, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Commitee of the Aga Khan Award for Association, Beirut; partner, Rais & Geneva, Switzerland Architecture Jamal Architects and Engineers, Beirut Ali Fawaz Maher Jafar Tukan Director, Darat al -Funun, Abdul Architect in private practice, Amman Hameed Shoman Foundation, Amman, Jordan Jordan. Els van der Plas Azim Naji and Mrs.Razia Naji Director, Prince Claus Fund for Culture, Director, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, Amsterdam, The Netherlands London, UK; member of the Steering Committee of the Aga Omar Youssef Khan Award for Architecture Architect in private practice, Palestine

Domenico Negri Italian Architect, architectural consultant to the Government of Qatar, Doha

Suha Özkan Turkish architect, Secretary general of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Attilio Petruccioli Professor, Faculty of Architecture, Bari Polytechnic Institute, Italy

Jay Randle and Mrs. J. Randle Chair, College of Architecture and Design, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Assem Salam President of the Organisation of Arab Architects, Beirut

Ashraf M.A. Salama Assistent Professor of Architecture, Al- Azhar University, Cairo; Acting Head, Department of Architecture, Misr International University

Basem Shihabi Director, Omrania & Associates Architects and Planners, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Ali Shuaibi Saudi Arabian architect, Beach Group Consultants, Riyadh; member of the Steering Commitee of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture Opening ceremony

Opening Remarks

Suha Özkan, Secretary General of The Aga Khan Award of Architecture

It was late 1970’s, if I may take you to encouraged to educate younger architects those days, you will remember that the and established the program with the modern movement was severely and Harvard university and MIT. This joint probably unfairly criticized in the book program was the first in the history of these called Form Follows Fiasco. The book two gigantic universities. At the same time accused the modern movement to allow they launched a journal which has a wider people to build carelessly and wipe out scope than the Islamic world. It was called our cities. At the same time, there was a Architecture and Development. These movement, which had shallow ethics as activities grew and soon after the first cycle far as architecture is concerned - post- of the award I joined the award and worked modernism -, which basically said anything there and it has been 18 years, which I would go as long as there is a meaning have been working there with tremendous and relevance to the context and the commitment and pride. But it was basically people. As these two movements were due to the people whom I worked with, fighting in the field, His Highness the Aga the people in the committee, the people Khan came up with an idea of developing in the master jury, the people in the an architectural exemplary process. He technical review and the wide selection founded the biggest architectural prize; range of nominators who carry the probably the biggest price on earth until volunteers spirit of the award- 700 of them now. Five hundred thousands US Dollars from all over the world. His Highness is are offered for the exemplary works of interested in architecture because it is the contemporary architecture. most developed form of expression in art of the Muslim history. On top of it, This initiative had its roots very well thought architecture carries the potential of being out. I am very happy to have two of the a melting pot to all kinds of expression founding members here Nader Ardalan from painting to sculpture, from space and Charles Correa who were in the first configuration to construction. Furthermore, committee and who set the processes of it has the potential of absorbing the social evaluating architecture with some in-depth and cultural issues at the same time. meaning. This organization basically attempted to look at the positive, look at In 1988, His Highness established the the accomplishments, look at the interventionist institution that basically achievements, and look at the world to does exemplary works such as the history find examples to show to the architect. city support program. This program carries The architectural community embraced it, projects in northern Pakistan, Cairo, almost immediately. Because the first set Mostar, Samarkand, and recently in Syria. of awards given in Lahore in 1980 had an The goal of this group of people is to show array of 15 solutions, covering 15 of various the economics and the viability of the aspects of meaningful and cultural relevant cultural heritage to be restored and to be architecture, His Highness was operated by the people themselves for

009 their own good use and benefit in order In the Arab world, recently, we had a to reinforce their existence and their seminar of this sort in Amman and we identity in their settlement. The program had another one last year but with a limited in Harvard and MIT has been launched context in Cairo. This year we had a since 1981-1982. It has grown in leaps meeting of this sort in Baker in Azerbaijan and bounds. You just heard that the and this would be the last meeting of this graduates are all over the place and sort. I am very much encouraged to see Lebanon have a record number of PIA that this time all members of my current graduates, which is very encouraging and steering committee namely Charles pleasing. This program carries centers in Correa, Azim Nanji, Selma EL-Radi have Karachi and Amman for years. Now, it is volunteered to be here. We also have on the threshold of making its among us one of the first members to the achievements and collections widely committee Nader Ardalan who also is available to all schools of architecture participating. Also we are much honored and to all architects all over the world to have Mr. Rifat Chardigi to be with us. through a big project –the ARCHNET. So I will not talk too much to let you know Archnet will be operational soon. It will about this seminar, and I am asking Mr. probably be launched towards the end of Rifat Chardigi to come and take the chair next year through the Internet. So and start the discussion right away. whatever has been accomplished and collected and evaluated in the processes of Aga Khan transport culture and programs in Harvard and MIT would be available to everyone.

The Award itself has many aspects the most important of which is to evaluate and give the Award. This is done always through an independent jury. This independent jury is selected by the steering committee of the award that is chaired by His Highness himself. On top of it is the thinking process: how do we establish our links with the field? How do we think? And from the very beginning- even before the establishment of the award itself- there was a meeting in Paris, which discusses the tenants of architecture for the Muslim world. Then, there was a meeting in Istanbul on the cultural heritage and we had global international seminars. But since 1982, we started small meetings like this one bringing regional expertise to establish and form links among the people who work more or less in the same context. We had all these meetings to redefine themes but on top of it we encouraged any problem or any accomplishment to be voiced here and shared with the other.

010 Charles Correa

Transcribed Lecture

Order of Engineers and Architects- Beirut

Introduction by Sany Jamal assemblies- all too numerous to enumerate Good evening ladies and gentlemen. The here. Charles Correa was born in task of introducing celebrities is not an Skanderabad in 1930; he is married since easy one, particularly when the celebrity 1961, has 2 children, and lives in Bombay, in question is none other than the eminent India. Mr. Correa got his masters degree architect-planner Charles Correa. As many from MIT in 1958; his professional of you may already know, Charles Correa experience from 1958 till today is carried is an Indian architect and a major in private practice… international figure in architecture and planning. As a practitioner, artist, and Charles Correa theoretician, Prof. Correa is known for the Thank you really for inviting my wife and wide range of architectural work in India, me here to Beirut. It’s a place we always studies on urbanization and low cost wanted to come to. Thirty years ago, every shelter in the third world, which he aerial flight leaving Bombay would stop in articulated in his 1985 publication "the Beirut or Cairo and then go on to Rome New Landscape." His architectural designs but we never got off the plane, and we have been internationally acclaimed and thought next time we will stop but we never Charles Correa: Professor of Architecture, Indian he has received many awards. His did. And then the war broke out and we Architect in private practice, Bombay; member of intelligent design response to climate and couldn't come; and now you have this the Steering Committee of the Aga Khan Award location is evident throughout his work, wonderful conference. I think, and that of Architecture as is his attention to movement through goes for many of us, all those years we space and changes of light. His concern heard the most wonderful things about for India's poor led him to regard people Beirut. In fact once a friend of us who lived and space as resources and to device in Beirut sent us a whole case of your many schemes for low-rise, high-density wine and it was terrific; so now we must housing intended to provide equity in the tell them that all the things we heard about built environment. He has written Beirut are really true. Because we have eloquently about housing in town planning been here for only 24 hours it's a very and worked to demonstrate his ideas in superficial judgment. But really, it is a developing new Bombay. Correa moves marvelous city. It has scale it has this easily from the housing for the landscape that is all the time moving. And underprivileged to hotels, public offices then it has this energy. These buildings and cultural centers. His creative use of that you are rebuilding, and the feeling imageries to project a central idea has one has that I know that you have at the marked much of his recent works. His moment- a kind of set back in your building dramatic flavor is matched by his interest schedule- but a feeling that it is landing in universal models as represented by on its feet. Once more you have this ability, Mandala's Hindu or Buddhist Cosmic which must have been there through the diagrams- literary interpreted in his centuries, for the people to survive. They buildings to express the deep variation survived with grace and you survived again between museums, industrial plants, office with a style. Now it seems to me that buildings, university campuses, housing buildings that are rebuilt are practical; they schemas, urban master plans and state are useful. I am sure they will be functional; 011 Charles Correa but perhaps we should expect a building As it does, I think we become stronger. I interests me very much how an earth stone to be expressing something about think India is like a palm: you know a set can represent something very metaphysical ourselves. I think that is very very important. of transparent layers of myths, different in your mind. Now to do this I think it’s not I think Winston Churchill of all people- I myths that are layered through the just a question of looking at history but it am not an admirer of Churchill- but his centuries. is trying to understand something the sentence is really very good. You must society likes in a fundamental way. It's have heard it. He said: “we build our So today I thought I will try to tell you something which I heard Louis Kahn calling buildings and than our buildings build us." something about India and working there volume zero. He was talking to some So it's very very important what we build. as an architect. You can see what is students at Penn and [I don't know exactly relevant to you and what is totally irrelevant. the sentences but it goes very much like The problem of modern life, not just here One of the things in India is that the issues this] he said: "I love English history, he but all over the world is that we tend to are huge; I mean they are really much said I love the bloodlines of it;” he said: “I build very banal things and then we bigger than any of us. They vary from the have 8 volumes at home which I love complain about the banality of life. But most particular like squatters; what do you reading;” and then he says” “actually I have there is very little expression of what are do when half of Bombay actually is living not read all 8, I have read the first;” and the values of that society. I think just a illegally, half of Delhi, half of Rio de then he said: “I haven’t even read the whole month ago at the conference of architects, Janeiro... These are epic issues. Big issues of the first volume, I just read the first few Suha mentioned the president of Iran. actually are an advantage because just in pages;” and then he said: “I don't think Without notes he said something like: “in the act of addressing them we have the history started the way they say it started, order to build architecture, we must not chance to grow. So, although there are it started before that, I want to read Volume copy a past, nor must we copy other tremendous frustrations, believe me, living Zero." I think that is so elegant; that it is people's present." And then I think he said: in India and working in India, I am sure so true. I think he goes on to say “we must make our own future." That is here also, will build frustration. But I am architecture is magnificent because it deals really wonderful. If you think about it; a sure the frustration is not so bad. In fact, with the recesses of the mind with that man like Frank Lloyd Right; he is in Chicago it gives you the chance to grow. I often which is not said and not yet made. That in 1890 onwards; he invented the way think of what you produced at the beginning is really beautiful and it is really the strength Americans were going to live for 100 years. of the century compared to what they are of someone like Aalto who could make a Houses in America come as a handed- producing today architecturally. At the totally modern building yet it speaks down version of Right. Mythic imagery, beginning of the century, you had a house, eloquently of Finland. Or Le Corbusier of you know the 2 steps after the dinning you had so many things: tremendous the Mediterranean: it is reaching that area, the picture window, the car park, etc. energy on the arts and architecture and volume zero; and if we do not reach volume How did Right do this? Not because he it's not a matter of talent. I think God zero then we should try. I mean in the looked at the history and looked off history distributes talent equally the way he cultures in which we live, architecture but because he understood intuitively what distributes rainfall. becomes an empty gesture of invention- Americans wanted to become. That is very either as a kind of wild geometry or as a important. So it seems to me that So I think we, who are living in a developing fashion. But with volume zero of course architecture just doesn't talk about the part of the world, are [I don't know if you everything changes. So I put together some history; of course you must know about feel living in a developing part of the world slides so we can discuss what can be the what you were, but it's what you want to because for me you look so affluent driving volume zero in the context of India. become. This is very relevant to us in India. in the city] developing and that's a India is a large country. I am always tremendous advantage of having to face So the question is what would be volume embarrassed to tell you how big. It's a issues, fundamental issues because they zero in the context of India and to some 1000 millions people as of last week! That's go from the most practical to the most extent I would say some of these things about 300 times bigger than you are, and metaphysical– that is one of the would be relevant to you here? it is many many different cultures. In a way characteristics of architecture. I start with this slide which is a typical that is part of the richness I think. I am I am trying to show you that in India it courtyard. It is in Spain. It could be here sure that all of us who go to America find always was, and I think here too, it was a in Beirut. It could even be in many other that it is many different people. To the metaphysical issue of creating, of making places in Greece or India or China. It shows extent that we are pluralistic our a model of the cosmos. A model of the a set of rows around an open space, which architecture should express this pluralism. deepest things you believe in, and it is open to the Godly sky. It has something

012 Untitled lecture interesting. All the rooms look again and architectural implications. again at the same set, at the same scene; Here for instance we see a building, thisis and instead of the scene becoming boring, Mies in Chicago. This is the Chapel at IIT. it becomes more and more interesting as You see it closed and sealed because of you see it from different rooms, and from the cold weather. It is completely different different angles. from the picture on your right. Here one is either inside or outside. There is a base Here is another courtyard from Bombay, and the building has a front door and one a Roman courtyard and it is highly formal sees the inside when he is outside. and very monumental. But is working in the same way; but here it is even more Now if I show you a building, this is in clear the importance of the open sky Oudaypur. It is completely different building above, the rooms around, and then what because it comes from another volume you call the axis of the universe going zero. There you don't know when you are from the earth up to the sky above. This inside the building or when you are out of courtyard, this kind of typology where you it. It’s very ambiguous as you step in and are looking at empty space which out to the places you get changes of the generates a kind of energy of course, is light, of movement of air, and all this makes central to many things, including the architecture. And anyone who has been Ghandi memorial, Sabarmati Ashram, Mandala. I remember Hassan Fathi talking to any place around all the way from here Ahmedabad, India (1958-63). about the Arab house and said: “all day to Isfahan, to Delhi, to China, to Japan the Arab lives with sand crossing the desert would know the importance of this kind of and would see nothing but the experience. Another thing I want you to formlessness of sand and then in the notice here is that architecture is an evening comes to this house- his mud architectural gesture which captures pieces house in the desert. And then, in the of the sky. In fact that's what makes it courtyard in the center, suddenly the air evocative. There is an end of the straight becomes very cool. It’s like the blessing line. He doesn't want that sky because of Allah. Because the deep penetration of probably it's so cold in Chicago that you the outer space the Arab walks, sits into wouldn't want to be reminded of that. I am the cour