Damluji S. The architecture of the United Arab Emirates

Garnet Publishing, 2006. — 325 p.Since the late 1960s, the cities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have experienced unprecedented development and accelerated construction. Viewed in the context of the specific environment and cultural fabric of this desert region in Arabia, the coming of modern architecture has been coupled with extensive cultivation projects implemented in an originally barren landscape. Simultaneously, the cities have also remained true to their heritage and recognized the importance of their vernacular architecture and, in a fascinating contrast to the rapid modernization, today there are also many reconstruction and heritage projects underway. Recognizing the need to examine this architectural antithesis, The Architecture of the United Arab Emirates includes contributions by architectural professionals and specialists who have witnessed this firsthand. Dr. Salma Samar Damluji has selected articles which fall into two sections: modern architecture-which questions the form of new cities, the contribution of international architectural practice, and the state of modern Islamic architecture; and vernacular architecture-which discusses architectural surveys carried out and conservation and heritage projects throughout the UAE. The book concludes with discussions of the ongoing reconstruction of traditional buildings, regeneration schemes, and the implications and reality of the reestablishment of traditions and heritage on the modern urban fabric and architectural thought.Map of the United Arab Emirates
Note on TransliterationAdapting to Change
Modern architecture
Brave New Cities
Urbanism and Town Planning
Constraints and Opportunities
Housing Development in Al ‘Ayn
Vernacular architecture
The Islamic Architecture of Dalmå Island
The Urban Architecture of Al Bastakiyyah
The Ancient Mosques of Ra’s al Khaymah
The Forts and Towers of Al ‘Ayn
Analysis of the Square: Al Murabba‘ah
In Search of the Vernacular
Notes