ARCH 9050 Globalisation and Architecture

Dr. Anna Rubbo Semester 2, 2003

THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE

This study will introduce an eminent acting architect in the Islamic World, working with a deep understanding of his rich heritage and culture, and full awareness of his

moral duty in producing an architecture that respect and reflect this special culture as well as functional needs of the end-users, to create a culturally appropriate

architecture without neglecting the contemporary technologies and methodologies. He reinterprets the traditional building techniques and elements to develop a

contemporary architecture, inseparable from its social environment and location. One of his projects will be introduced, discussing its importance in restoring a nearly lost

identity and heritage of its location.

Yousef Taibeh SID: 033980

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 3

2. RASEM BADRAN................................................................. 4

3. RIYADH: A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND...................... 7

4. REDEVELOPMENT OF QASR AL-HUKM ...................... 10

5. CONCLUSION..................................................................... 14

REFERENCES ......................................................................... 15

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Number of words: 2, 664 word (excluding the summary and the conclusion) Cover image source: Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE), http://csbe.org/, INTERNET [October 28, 2003].

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1. INTRODUCTION

The Middle East region has a well established built tradition and rich culture,

diverging from one country to another or within the different provinces of the same

country, a common core line of shared believes, history and language, historically

combined these different communities and building idioms in one major category

under the Arab Islamic umbrella.

This local architecture of the area faced hard times with the second half of the

twentieth century, the time of the blind fascinating with the imported styles and

building idioms, this ignorant of the local heritage was most evident in the Gulf

States, as these countries were able to import what ever new and fashionable in the

West or the East, after the oil discovery the Gulf area and the attendant economic

boom in the region. This attitude has resulted in nearly loosing the special character

and the identity of these countries, and made the Muslim Arabs strangers in there own

cities.

Fortunately, and by early 80, a new awareness was forming with the emergence of

professional local architects, who tried to deal with the different geographical, cultural

and social aspects of the region, and its special and distinctive condition, one these

architects is the Jordanian Architect Rasem Badran. Another important acting factor

in forming this awareness was a number of Agencies and Authorities, such as The

Aga Khan Foundation, The Organization of Arab Cities and Ar-Riyadh Development

Authority. These agencies participated in retaining the appreciation of the local

architecture and insuring its superiority over imported foreign types.

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2. RASEM BADRAN The Jordanian Architect Rasem Badran is one of the most

important contemporary Architects in the Middle East

region, his ideas have great influence on the architectural

realm, and on the newly graduated architects there, his

projects are appreciated internationally as examples of

excellence and importance for the development of the area,

these projects are firmly rooted in the context of the Islamic

and Arab world heritage, without loosing the close touch

with international contemporary architectural (Institut Für

Auslandsbeziehungen), many of these projects have received

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international and regional awards, such as Palestine Award

or Architecture in 1997, Arabic Architects prize Award from Arab Housing Ministers

n 1997, Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1995, and Arab Architecture award

rom the Arab City Organization in 1990. Badran himself also has been awarded with

n honorary Ph.D. from the Jordan University for science and Technology to honour

is contributions to the field of architecture. In addition to that, Badran has served on

number of international architectural juries, including the International Jury of the

amaican General Governor’s Award for Architecture in 1992, the Master Jury of the

ga Khan Award for Architecture in 1989, and the Master Jury for the Organization

f Arab Cities in 1985 (Dar al-Omran).

asem Badran was born in Jerusalem-West Bank in 1945, he received his first artistic

raining from his father Jamal, an Islamic calligraphy and ornamentation artist, who

orked on the restoration of the AI-Aqsa Mosque. His school education was in the

earby town of Ramallah, and then he continued his further education in Darmstadt

ermany where he graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1970. Following his

raduation he worked in Germany for two years and there he had the opportunity to

e involved in the design of the visitor service facilities for the Olympic Stadium in

unich, and to participate in the first prize winning project among 250 entries for an

nternational competition of designing a low cost housing, sponsored by the German

inistry of Housing (Abu Hamdan, 1987; Dar al-Omran).

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He returned to Jordan in 1973 and began his work with a

realization of series of impressive private houses,

displaying the residual effect of his modernist training in

the West through a functionalist approach to form, with

experimentations on the physical potentials of the local

white limestone. Consequently, he created a partnership

with other two Jordanian engineers and started to

concentrate on local and international competitions, and

on projects of considerable scale. From here, Badran

pursued farther commissions in other countries of the

region, like Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and the Gulf states,

expanding his vocabulary and frame of reference to inc

elements (Steele, 1991). In these different countries Badran

the local traditional architecture and the embedded spatia

interpret these idioms without direct copying to it, creating a

and past to introduce a contemporary architecture unde

cultural heritage and society (Badran, 1988).

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With an emerging awareness of the special identity in these

appreciation of local heritage, Badran's approach seemed

different authorities in these countries, and consequently

over other international projects participating in the major

held in the area like Qatar Islamic Arts Museum (199

Development (1996), Darat al-Malik Abdula’ziz Complex i

Hukm Mosque and Palace Complex in Riyadh (1985), and t

(1982). , in these huge projects issues of urban design and re

most essential (CSBE).

Figure

lude new typologies and

tried to study and analyze

l relations in it, then to

dialogue between present

tected from its location,

countries and the growing

to be the quest of the

his projects were chosen

architectural competitions

7), the Sidon Sea front

n Riyadh (1994), Qasr al-

he Baghdad State Mosque

gional development were

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The following text will introduce Badran’s work in Riyadh-Saudi Arabia, especially

the Great Mosque project; discussing its important position in the city and the

surrounding political and social circumstances of this location over time, and the

impact the project had on the revitalization of that essential part within the structure of

the city. A historical brief will be introduced first putting this project within its

context, in the heart of Riyadh, the fast growing city, with disappearing traditional

architecture.

Figure 3

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3. RIYADH: A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Riyadh, the capital of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is

located in the center of Arabian Peninsula in Najd area,

an area traditionally isolated from any external

influence. It first emerged as an urban center in 1824

when the founder of the second Saudi state (1824191)

Turki bin Sa'ud made it his capital. In 1902 Riyadh was

restored by king Abdula’ziz Al Sa'ud, the founder of

the third Saudi state, which evolved into the present day

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since 1902 Riyadh has

grown in area from 1 square kilometer to more than 1,5

from 15,000 people to nearly 4.5 millions (Musa, and al-A

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governor from the palace, to the mosque, where he perform

Eid Prayers. This building arrangement was common i

settlements, to show that the mosque was the source of

inspiration. The commercial and communal activities

adjacent Sahat aI' Adle (the Justice Square) (ibid.).

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Figure

00 km², and in population

sad, 2003).

n eight-meter high

efensive mud and bricks

all circled the 1 square

ilometer old city, in the

enter of the city three main

uildings existed: al-

asmak Fortress, Qasr al-

ukm (the Justice palace),

nd al-Masjid al-Jami' (the

ongregational Mosque), a

ridge was linking the

alace with the mosque to

Figure rovide a direct path for the

ed prayers, particularly the

n many traditional Islamic

legislation and the ruler's

used to take place in the

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In mid 1930s, Riyadh extended for

the first time outside its walls, this

was marked by the construction of

the walled palatial complex Qasar al-

Murabba' (the Square Palace

400x400m) located 2 km to the north

of the old city. The construction of

al-Murabba' had a strong impact on

the growth of the city by initiating

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uilding expansion beyond the city walls and marking the primary direction of this

xpansion to the north of the old city. New technologies were introduced for first time

n Riyadh with this building, as the use of the automobile as a mean of transportation.

ever the less, this complex retained much of the general features of the urban

atterns of the Najd region, characterized by solid masses, covered streets, with the

un-dried mud bricks and TamaIi-sk tree trunks as the main building materials,

ppropriate for the dry and very hot climate of the area. Al-Murabba' palace was a

ositive example of the adaptation of traditional building technologies to large scale

rojects (ibid.).

n 1950 the first reinforced concrete rural palace was constructed in al-Nasariyah

arm 6.5 km west of Riyadh center, this building marked the departure from the build

radition of the region, and open the doors for importing other foreign building

dioms, like the dominant orthogonal grid planning pattern of Riyadh, which was first

sed here. The fifties witnessed a huge program of modem development, when

bdula’ziz's successor, King Sa'ud transferred the government offices from Mecca to

iyadh to ensure its place as the capital of the kingdom. Subsequently, new buildings

ere constructed to house the different ministries, all in the modem-style of that era,

hanging the traditional provincial character of the city (Musa, and al-Asad, 2003;

huaibi, and al-Hathloul. 1984).

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At that time there was a

huge ignorant of local

heritage and building

traditions, it was regarded

disgraceful to have an

official building made of

mud, most of the mud

structures were easily

demolished to create new

straight lines and provide

better access to city center.

Riyadh city expanded

horizontally to fill quickly its gridiron master plan especially during the construction

boom after the rise in oil prices in the 70s, many international Architects and

Companies participated in this early example of globalized competition, architects and

firms from the weight of the well known American architect Minoru Yamasaki, and

the leading Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, the two American firms The Architects

Collaborative (TAC), and Hellmuth, Obata +Kassabaum (HOK) (ibid.).

Figure 7

By the mid of the 1980s an emerging Arab and Saudi architects started to play a major

role in Riyadh a new awareness started to be formed regarding architecture and

building construction. Those architects responded in different ways to the climatic

constrains and the local architectural heritage the area, another important factor in

forming this awareness was Ar-Riyadh Development Authority, the independent

governmental entity responsible for the planning and development of Riyadh city, this

Authority undertook many important development projects in the city, one of these

projects is the redevelopment of Qasr al-Hukm District and King Abdula’ziz

Historical Center, Rasem Badran had a major role in actualizing this ambitious

scheme together with other pioneering Arab architects like Adel-Halem Ibrahim from

Egypt, and Ali Shuaibi from Saudi Arabia,. The next section shed more light on this

project and its impact on the city and the community (ibid.).

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4. REDEVELOPMENT OF QASR AL-HUKM

The redevelopment and revitalization of Qasr al-Hukm District first started in the mid

of the 1970s, when the Italian architect Marco Albini was commissioned to carry out a

conceptual urban design for the district, he also was in charge of designing a number

of buildings situated in this central area. Towards the end of the 1970s, the Saudi firm

Beeah Group Consultants conducted some modifications to the internal spaces of the

buildings and incorporated the vocabularies of Najdi architecture into the facades. In

1981, the Beeah Group Consultants also were commissioned to carry out the urban

design of the whole Qasr al-Hukm District (Musa, and al-Asad, 2003).

During the mid 1980s, the

second phase of started, Ar-

Riyadh Development

Authority conditioned that

the designer must be a

believer in the Islamic faith

and a practitioner of Islamic

culture, a competition was

conducted and architect

Rasem Badran of Shubeilat

Badran Associates (later rename

of the Great Mosque of Riyadh

longer extant al-Masjid al-Jam

included the urban developmen

Square, and streets as well as pa

in addition to some offices and c

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Badran analyzed the environme

traditions and social patterns of

the Najdi architecture idiom. T

Figure

d Dar al-Omran) was chosen to design the buildings

, and Qasr al-Hukm, on the same location of the no

i' and old Qasr al-Hukm, the scope of work also

t of the adjacent public squares, particularly al-'Adl

rts of the walls of the old city and its gates and towers

ommercial facilities (ibid.).

ntal, climatic and cultural factors, as well as the local

behaviour, in order to re-create the spatial character of

he mosque is set within public areas, recreating the

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traditional place of worship as the part of the urban fabric. Traditional component,

such as courtyards, arcades and the prayer hall, are emphasized. and two square

minarets acting as a landmarks identifying the city center and marking the Qipla

direction (the direction of the Muslim prayer, which faces the city of Mecca),

obviously different from the direction of the surrounding streets, Badran solved this

problem by reviving the Riwaq a common element in the region, providing a roofless

screen which articulates the various components of the complex and provide a smooth

transition between the different directions of the mosque and surrounding streets. The

Riwaq also housed a number of small shops in some places. Another gesture was the

recreating of the traditional linking bridge between the mosque and the Justice Palace.

There are no domes over the prayer hall, which reflects a deep understanding of the

social aspects of the regions, as in this area the domes are mainly associated with

tombs, columns on a nine by nine meter grid evoke earlier palm trunk construction,

the columnar structures and beams contains the ventilation ducts of the air

conditioning units on the roof, each unit can be controlled individually to adjust

cooling needs according to the occupancy of the mosque, resulting in reduced

operating costs (Davidson, 1995).

Figure 9

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The exterior walls of the mosque are clad in local limestone, and the restrained use of

small triangular openings organized in patterns both resembles traditional building

practice and helps to diminish the harsh glare of the sun in the interior spaces.

Courtyards and open squares are aligned towards the Qibla so that they can be used as

additional prayer area during feasts days and Fridays. Granite seats and benches, as

well as drinking water fountains, have been provided for the general public, and the

area is landscaped with palm trees to provide shade. The massing of the buildings and

the articulation of spaces and court-yards evoke a traditional character, even though

the construction materials and the design of the buildings are completely modern

(ibid.).

Figure 10

This project addresses the problems of urban space in the centre of a modern

metropolis meeting complex demands new program for a site of a historical

importance. The architectural solutions responded to the local lifestyle, climate and

physical surroundings. The spatial character and iconography of the project provide a

sense of continuity with the historical context, through the reinterpretation of the

language of traditional Najdi architecture and through retaining the position of the

mosque in the heart of the Islamic city as a place of worship as well as the center of

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commercial and communal activities, Badran demonstrated in this project mastery of

building techniques and a deep understanding of the culture of the area. The use of

modern materials and technologies, such as air conditioning, is unobtrusive and does

not detract from the quite sense of spirituality inside the mosque. The sequence of

open courtyards is skilful and sensitive, the architect succeeded in creating a modern

urban complex while still retaining the essence of its traditional frame, demonstrating

the advantage of the local architecture heritage over foreign imports (ibid.).

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5. CONCLUSION

Many lessons can be learned from Qasr al-Hukm project, one important lesson is that

architecture is for people, it is the embodiment of their history, life and ambitions,

architecture should not be dealt with as an sculpture or piece of art, reflecting the

intellectuality of the designer, away from the needs and demands of the users. In this

aspect Rasem Badran describes Qasr al-Hukm project as: “a master plan for a way of

life, rather than just a visual exercise or personal expression of man’s desires and

cultural background. Architecture has to be an embodiment of human and moral

concepts … We should seek those special characteristics within the social

environment that can offer the society an identity” (Abu Hamdan, 1987). Qasr al-

Hukm project reside in heart of the city and the community, the memory of the place

was stimulated as the public feast and ceremonies are held here again after more then

fifty years of amnesia.

Figure 11

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REFERENCES

Abu Hamdan, Akram. 1987. Rasem Badran of Jordan. In MIMAR 25: Architecture in Development. Singapore: Concept Media Ltd, pp. 50-70 Badran, Rasem. 1988. Historical References and Contemporary Design. In Theories and Principles of Design in the Architecture of Islamic Societies. Margaret Bentley Sevcenko (ed). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, pp. 149-59 Davidson, Cynthia C. 1995. Great Mosque of Riyadh and Old City Centre Redevelopment. In Architecture Beyond Architecture. Cynthia C. Davidson, and Ismail Serageldin, eds. London: Academy Editions, pp.84-93 Musa, Majd and Mohamed al-Asad. 2003. Riyadh Architecture in One Hundred Years. An essay on a public lecture presented by Saleh al-Hathloul at Darat al-Funun, Amman on April 21, 2002. available from: http://csbe.org/, INTERNET [October 28, 2003]. Shuaibi, Ali and Saleh al-Hathloul. 1984. The Justice Palace District, Riyadh. In Continuity and Change: Design Strategies for Large-Scale Urban Development. Margaret Bentley Sevcenko (ed). Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, pp. 37-48 Steele, James. 1991. Recent Work by Rasem Badran. In MIMAR 41: Architecture in Development. London: Concept Media Ltd, pp. 42-49 Agencies and Authorities: Aga Khan Award for Architecture, web site: http://www.akdn.org/ Ar-Riyadh Development Authority, web site: http://arriyadh.com/ Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE), web site: http://csbe.org/ Dar al-Omran Company, web site: http://www.daralomran.com/ Institut Für Auslandsbeziehungen, web site: http://www.ifa.de/

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