Qatar in a few years from now will be like an encyclopedia of architecture. Mark his words, for he is Qatar’s leading architect. Managing Director and Chief Architect of Arab Engineering Bureau, Ibrahim Jaidah has for long been a proponent of Arab architecture. He recently held an exhibition – Contemporary Architectural Development in Qatar. Developed and presented by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts (VCUQ) at Education City, the exhibition highlighted the work and vision of Jaidah and his design studio.
Qatar is emerging as an economic and commercial hub, and it is but natural for the ‘built environment’ to follow suit to cater to the needs. Landmark buildings are springing up all over the city, each one taller than the other, while all of them are ultra-modern with an abundance of steel and glass.
Several projects are also in the offing to make Qatar unique to the Arab world: its museum for Islamic arts, Education City and the Sports City projects. Some of these buildings are by internationally renowned architects such as I M Pei and Arata Isozaki. Jaidah, one of the most influential local entrepreneurs taking part in this enormous development, takes Qatar Today on his designing journey.
Trained at the University of Okhlahoma in Environmental design, Jaidah started his career in Qatar at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture. “My initial work at the Ministry was planning in bits and pieces here and there, usually extensions or modifications to schools etc. Al Dana Club was the first large scale architectural concept that I had worked on. It was completed by other firms. The building went on to win the Arab City Award for Architecture and was also nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.”
However, there was more than just designing that Jaidah had to handle in that case. He had to convince decision-makers that the concept would work.
“Al Dana Club would be the first building in Qatar to revive traditional architecture and the only building having a local influence. This was not just a turning point in my career; it was also an historical building in Qatar. At that point of time, when I had mentioned the concept to my seniors, of integrating traditional elements into the design, there was an instant rejection from the ministry level. They even said, ‘if it is going to be like the Museum buildings, then No Thanks!’”
But he was fortunate enough to have spoken to HH the Emir, and explained the concept and the philosophy behind this design. “HH got so excited with the design; he took me home the next day, put pictures of old buildings on my lap and asked me to show him which building the club would emulate. I picked out some black and white pictures of buildings designed by a Belgian couple in the 1940s. That’s how the concept got approved."
"Since then I have started getting more involved in introducing local trends and features into modern buildings. Dana club’s design is based on the old mansions built close to the sea. It has wind towers, arcades and verandahs; and traditional elements like timber was used for structural support.”
Modern needs like central air-conditioning in the corridors were integrated into the design without hindering the design by using gypsum carvings AC vents. “After I left the ministry and started this firm, I continued to use this same form of design by borrowing local elements and using it in a straightforward manner, coupling beauty with functionality. Though I was criticised in the beginning, I held on to my principle designing style. “When oil was discovered, all traditional forms disappeared; the local craftsmen were replaced by modern machinery, wood by steel and concrete. Someone had to go back and explore the learnings of the past - an inheritance from our ancestors, and imbibe the good and incorporate it into modern forms to give character to our own buildings,” says Jaidah.
On acquiring his firm and the changeover to private (and passionate) practice, he says, “Arab Engineering Bureau was formed in 1966. In 1990 when I was still in the government, a friend of mine said that Jamal Abdul Halim- the founder of AEB was offering his practice for sale. I was scared as all of this happened suddenly. I had two days to take a decision and four days to arrange for a loan. But I went for it and took it. At the point when I took AEB, there were only seven or eight people working in it.”
The company had a distinguished reputation even then, but as Halim got busy with work outside the country, the firm started shrinking. What Jaidah was buying was the name, as this was the first design establishment in Qatar.
“It was much better than starting on a fresh note, because when I came, there were small projects already with the firm. But there was no designer. We had primitive drafting tools like the T-square, no typewriter or computers. And that is how we did our initial designs. We moved within six months and here we are after 14 years... with 220 architects/ designers and with branches in Abu Dhabi, and still growing.”
Jaidah’s strong conviction to preserve and adapt traditional Qatari architecture is best seen in the Qatar Foundation headquarters. The two- storey building is laid out on a square plan, each corner dominated by a protruding tower barely higher than the facade and crowned by crenellation and entrances on all four sides. Two imposing wind tower like structures form the centre of the roof area. A central roofed courtyard dominates the interior, with colonnaded walkways on each storey bordering the courtyard and leading to the rooms grouped around. Window lunettes and spandrels of arches are decorated with coloured glass.
“The building creates an open environment in which its inhabitants or users are free to develop professional relationships with each other over the open corridors and the courtyard. In fact, the courtyard is now used as a public meeting place and space for media broadcasts. The building’s concept is therefore much more true to the traditional social fabric of Gulf society than any other Western building concept would have been able to deliver. “Our earlier buildings were direct representations of local architecture, but as we started developing, we imbibed traditional values into a modern atmosphere. The BMW showroom would be a perfect example to this case. It has the local flavour, in a modern way. At the end of the day, this building had to reflect the corporate identity of the German car giants. They were so used to the glass facade buildings and it was a challenge for us to incorporate a local design in a grandiose yet refined manner to reflect the values of the brand while making the building adaptable to the local surroundings. But what was encouraging was the BMW policy maker’s reaction in Munich to this building; they loved the building and called it the ‘Doha building of BMW’.” The Diplomatic Club had to reflect the prevalent society’s need to exchange polite conversation between people and to imbibe brotherhood values. The design had to keep this factor in mind. With its small walkways, inner courtyards, water pools and meeting rooms, the Diplomatic Club creates a place for pleasant socialising and relaxation.
The typical wind towers on two ends with geometric stucco design forming the decoration may not blend well in a New York street but it sits well on a desert environment which is otherwise devoid of visual stimuli. To escape the relentless sunlight and step inside a sheltered shaded and colourful environment is the true sense of relaxation that the building offers. This style has also become a distinguishable symbol of the Qatari state in a number of foreign embassies in Turkey, Egypt and Yemen.
“Low cost buildings are not particularly popular here as this stems more from the need of the populace than as an art form, though in some countries like India, designers experiment a lot in this area and incorporate a lot of aesthetics in the most economical method possible. The income is high, the population is small and hence the government did not feel the need for experiments in this area. But there is a slight movement towards this – the old Souq is being restored using traditional methods, but how cost-effective this will be, is yet to be seen. Some residential projects are also being planned in this method but we are not involved in the project. But I was interested in the buildings by Hassan Fekri and have studied his low-cost structures in Cairo,” says Jaidah, commenting on the various forms of architectural practices.
Barzan Tower on the Corniche is a building, which combines the design of a contemporary office tower with a shiny glass facade, with that of a traditional Qatari fort. The glass building actually seems to rise out of a stone facade of the fort. The design of this building was inspired by the old Barzan watchtower at Umm Salal Mohammad, the restoration of which was also done by Jaidah. This building can be regarded as a visual symbol of Qatar’s recent development and departure from the traditional to one on the threshold of globalisation. The Gulf Tower is another recent work of Jaidah. It is part of the West bay development in Doha that will eventually comprise of more than one hundred and fifty high-rise buildings. The majority of the buildings on the Corniche are planned as glass-fronted, sleek towers to mark the era of globalisation. This building follows the same trend and is a departure from his earlier public buildings, as it does not exhibit the national Qatari style. “Its inspiration is rooted in the future as most of the projects of the West bay area follow avant-garde designs and reaches towards higher pinnacles.”
“There are many old buildings that have stood the test of time in terms of art and aesthetics that will never cease to stimulate the visual senses. Though there are a number of new buildings coming up, the Sheraton is always the ‘landmark’ in Doha. It made a statement of its own and had a unique beauty of its own. The Q-Post building is another interesting building with a strong concept. The facade resembles pigeonholes and pigeons were known to be the ‘couriers’ of the past. It is a beautiful concept and has been realised in an artistic spread merging with the desert site. “Then there are the olden classical buildings which are a personal favourite. Grand Mosques of the Damascus, the Taj Mahal in India, beautiful architecture of Morocco, are all structures that influence and inspire the creativity inside you. When I was studying in the States, the Empire State building was a favourite. Philip Johnsons, Micheal Graves were all inspirations during my graduation days. Graves’s signature aesthetic elemental shapes, references to historical forms, and warm colours that often reflect Italian and classical influences is recognised worldwide and were my favourite designs,” says Jaidah about buildings that have inspired him.
Jaidah feels that the real estate boom that is presently sweeping Doha is a positive trait for the construction industry and for the country too. “Things are getting more organised and civilized. Earlier it used to take ages for any change to take place, it is much easier now. The demand is there, the income has increased and there is demand for higher standard of buildings as people can afford them. With international names in real estate like Remax coming in, there is a boom in the industry. The advantage here is that these companies can also identify ‘quality’ in construction and amenities thus setting and raising standards in the construction industry.”
“The influx of signature names and firms in architecture to Qatar in the last four to five years and their approach to the traditional Qatari style of architecture is impressive,” he says
For instance, the globally acclaimed Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, who has designed Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar and the building of Liberal Arts and Science in Education City, is also behind noted new projects like Qatar Museum, QNB and Qatar National Library.
“I wish there is more interaction between the signature architects and their local counterparts,” says Jaidah, while maintaining that he is fortunate and proud to have his works stand shoulder to shoulder to those designed by Isozaki.
“Though there were some architects from Qatar during my time who graduated, none of them were practising the art form as they were mostly in high governmental positions. Now I am training some Qatari females from VCUQ in the field of interior design, we are still lacking in Qatari architects in our firm. But I intend to change that soon as there is a student. A Qatari who has trained in architecture from Sharjah and might join our firm. And I hope this trend will continue. “Design is in your blood. You either become an architect or not. Five to ten percent of the architects will continue to design, some of them will have the passion but it has to be there - the passion to design, to strive forward in art forms, to dream and to design...”
“We have a branch in Abu Dhabi, as we are doing some interesting jobs there, we won some competitions, an international competition for the design of 100 villas. There was also a design competition for the central market, we won that too and work is going on for these projects. In Dubai, we won the design of the Qatari Embassy, but it is completely different in Dubai, it is too fast paced. Meanwhile Doha is also expanding, slowly and surely, it is better to concentrate and make a mark here than to get sucked into the fast lane of Dubai! I have plans to expand in Yemen and Sudan, the potential there is great as they are going to rebuild whole cities from scratch, lots of money is being put here,” he says.
While Jaidah strives to create a mark in Qatar through his buildings, he also has a passion for beautiful creations worldwide. He travels widely and takes photographs (another hobby) to keep his ‘fire’ alive! “Though now, I have to make sure that there are entertainment parks where I go to keep my children occupied...”
This article is reproduced with special permission from Qatar Today - Qatar's only news, business and lifestyle magazine
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