A Century of Evolution in Architecture and Urbanism in the Arabian Peninsula

Urban Design Group in collaboration with University of Strathclyde and University of Dundee

This lecture addresses the evolution of architectural and urban traditions in the Gulf states. Structured in three components, it first interrogates the way in which geo-cultural politics may have instigated a contemporary discourse on architecture and the urban environment.

Second, it explores the evolutionary process by identifying a considerable number of events that evolved over a period of 100 years which are classified into political, economic, educational, infrastructural incidents. The relevance of these events is investigated by mapping them into actual manifestations on architecture and urbanism.

The third component concerns itself with the impact of globalization on key cities of the Gulf states part of the evolutionary process. Within the three explored components issues that pertain 'human agency', and issues of 'newness', 'nowness', 'being', and 'becoming' are debated where the move from tribal governance to modern state governance is discussed.

The presentation develops into an argument for the need for research frameworks that have the potential of providing deeper insights into the understanding of the evolution of architecture and urbanism in rapidly growing contexts.

Chair

Dr Husam AlWaer  UDG Exec | University of Dundee

Dr AlWaer is an architect, planner and urbanist, with a background in architecture, urban planning and sustainability. He is currently Reader in Sustainable Urban Design at the University of Dundee and has worked with various UK and International governmental and corporate agencies on research, training and engagement projects. His interests include the past and future of sustainable places, towns and cities, and in particular the development of new approaches to sustainable urbanism. He is a member of the Urban Design Group Executive, and honorary chief editor of the Urban Design and Planning journal. 

Speaker

Professor Ashraf M. Salama  University of Strathclyde

Ashraf M. Salama is professor of architecture and is currently director of research and lead of research and of the research cluster of architecture and urbanism in the global south (CRAUCGS), head of the department of department of architecture (2014-2020), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. 

He is a licensed architect in Egypt and the Middle East and was the Director of Research and Consulting at Adams Group Architects, Charlotte, North Carolina. He has led three schools of architecture over the past 25 years in Egypt, Qatar, and the United Kingdom.

Having authored and co-edited 14 books and published over 170 articles and chapters in the international refereed press, Professor Salama is the Chief Editor of ArchNet-IJAR and co-Chief Editor of Open House International. He is the recipient of the 2017 UIA Jean Tschumi Prize for Excellence in Architectural Education and Criticism. For further information on his work, click here.

Respondent

Professor Attilio Petruccioli  ICOMOS / UNESCO expert | Doctoral School Architettura e Costruzione, Draco, Università di Roma, La Sapienza

Former Aga Khan Professor of Architecture for Islamic Societies at MIT and director of the Aga Khan Program at MIT and Harvard University (1994 – 1998), Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy, he served both as dean and director of the department (1998-2012). Professor of Landscape Architecture, Qatar University,  Chief editor of Environmental Design. Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre (2012-2017). Professor Petruccioli is a registered Architect since 1974, Italy and associate A.I.A. American Institute of Architects. He has consulted and provided professional advice in the field of Islamic heritage and development in most of the Arab countries, among them: Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Palestina, Syria, Saudi Arabia.

As a result of his long lasting and passionate interest in both architectural design and history of Islamic architecture, he has written and edited  34 books and more than 210 articles on these topics. Among the books: Dar al Islam. La architettura del territorio nei paesi islamici, Roma, Carucci, 1985; Il giardino islamico. Architettura, natura, Paesaggio, Milan, Electa, 1994; Understanding Islamic Architecture, London, Routledge, 2002, with Khalil Pirani; Bukhara. The Eastern Dome of Islam, Stuttgart,2004, with Anette Gangler and Heinz Gaube; After Amnesia. Learning from the Islamic Mediterranean Urban Fabric, Bari, 2007 ; C. D’Amato Guerrieri and A. Petruccioli. Australian lectures, Rome, 2014; The City in the Islamic World. Edited by Petruccioli A., Jayyusi S. K, Holod R, Raymond A. Leiden Boston, Brill, 2008, vol. 1-2.; The Mediterranean Medina. Edited by Petruccioli A., Micara L, Vadini E. Roma, Gangemi, 2009;  Siwa. Actions for a Sustainable Development. Edited by A. Petruccioli and C. Montalbano, Bari, Icar, 2011.                 

Presentations