In search of a direction in the contemporary architecture of Arabia

Abstract

There is a new breed of contemporary buildings evolving in the Middle East that incorporates all the pragmatic functions of the 20th century, but, at the same time, attempts to capture the spirit of the indigenous architecture in its particular context This thesis seeks to investigate and understand the approach of architects who have attempted to design in a kind of semi-abstracted continuation of the Arab tradition. In order to be able to appraise the relationship of the built forms created by these designers to the issue of articulating an Arab identity, this essay has chosen to address contemporary institutional architecture. The two buildings chosen as an excellent example of this relationship are The Sief Palace Complex, Kuwait City, Kuwait by Reima Pietila, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by Henning Larsen. The purpose of this study is threefold. First it evaluates the architectural vocabulary of each project in order to understand transformations intended to lead to the evolution of a new architectural vocabulary. Secondly. it is a cautionary tale to designers who set about buildings that attempt to respond to the exigencies of both internationalism and tradition, and finally it focuses on issues of guidance to state agencies.