The use of precedents in contemporary Arab architecture : case studies; Rasem Badran and Henning Larsen

Abstract

Much recent architecture in the Arab World utilizes historical precedents in an attempt to articulate an identity for regional architecture. This thesis investigates this approach in relation to place and cultural context. The study is focused on three institutional buildings from the Arab World: two projects by the architect Rasem Badran, Qasr alHoukm (Justice Palace) in Riyadh and the Presidential Palace in Bagdad, and Henning Larsen's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh. The analysis examines the architects' designs and design research in order to reveal the architects' theoretical positions and their artifactual realizations. This approach allows for a deeper understanding design as a method and a production, and suggests an approach for architectural criticism.