Fulfilling Promises Delivering for the Future
By all accounts, the region’s biggest real estate convention – Cityscape – held in Dubai a few weeks ago was a depressing reminder of the global recession. A shadow of its former self, the convention rented far less space and showcased far fewer eye-popping architectural wonders. The projects on display have either been completed or shelved indefinitely. It’s little wonder that a real estate-fueled financial crisis would abruptly halt Dubai’s speculative exuberance. But the news isn’t all bad; in fact, it’s quite exciting.
As an architect I was naturally drawn to Cityscape’s World Architecture Congress. For two days I listened to architects, planners, developers and even lawyers describe how the recession was reshaping the massive real estate and construction industries. Moderated by Peter Rees, City Planning Officer for London, the dialog centered around two seemingly incompatible ideas: on the one hand, how to make iconic buildings, those monuments that summarize a city; and on the other how to make the great public spaces all great cities seem to have. In retrospect, cites that have grown organically, over decades if not centuries usually have both. Simply think of the Eiffel Tower and the Luxemburg Gardens, The Twin Towers and Central Park, and of course London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral or Big Ben and any of its magnificent public parks. By contrast the gulf region has the monuments but not the spaces.
Some blame the newness of development. Others, the weather as not conducive to outdoor festivities and some lament that all development in the region has been primarily private. All justifiable reasons. In the face of plummeting rents and rising vacancies, the question before the Congress was where do we go from here? We’ve built dozen’s of skyscrapers other cities could only dream of. We’ve built shopping malls by the kilometer, a light rail and even a fourteen lane highway Los Angeles would envy. Now what? In short, we’ve built the icons, the places of destination, and even the means to get to them, but we have neglected the tissue that holds it all together; the connective glue of everyday hustle and bustle. In Mr. Rees’ parlance, the “places of gossip” where people meet, great and exchange information in unscheduled and chaotic fashion are what truly drives commerce and great cites.
It is ironic that the world’s first and greatest place of gossip was the Arab souk. Sadly many ancient markets have made way for the icons of a new age. However, the Congress participants readily agreed on a new formula for publicness and the key ingredients can be found just up the coast in Doha.
“Dohaland represents something far more provocative. It is a subsidiary of an educational experiment, the Qatar Foundation which seeks to be a leader in innovative teaching and research. They’re building the places and the spaces; the buildings and the learning; the streets and the debates; the piazzas and the innovation.”
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The Heart of Doha, a massive urban redevelopment in the center of old Doha, represents nothing less than a new architectural language in the Middle East. Actually, it’s a synthesis of ancient ideas and modern concepts. An emergent language built on an understanding of culture, climate and civicness, coupled with advances in energy, environment and efficiency. According to the project website, Dohaland’s mission is “based on [a] long-term positive impact on the environment. The company declines the achievement of any materialistic short-term profits in order to find a balance between the practice of everyday life and the essential needs of individuals.” Specifically, this will be achieved through a balance between unity and diversity; squares and streets that provide a traditional environment in a contemporary language, all with a pedestrian priority.
These are the spaces of everyday life. It’s an acute understanding that much of our financial mess was a fixation on short-term results and no investment in innovation or human capital. The quarterly statement and the skyscraper have for too long both stood in isolation. Apart from their context they were only a destination, a short visit, not a dwelling, a place of community, creation and commitment.
All this aside, Dohaland represents something far more provocative. It is a subsidiary of an educational experiment, the Qatar Foundation which seeks to be a leader in innovative teaching and research. They’re building the places and the spaces; the buildings and the learning; the streets and the debates; the piazzas and the innovation. It remains whether other cites of only places can also build the spaces. Personally, I’m hopeful that next year’s Cityscape will reflect this inevitable trend.
Peter Chomowicz
VCUQatar Associate Dean for Research and Academic Affairs (2009)
Masters of Design Studies Harvard University
Bachelor of Architecture The Cooper Union New York
