Writ 1155: Writing and Culture

The first book that examines the geographical, historical, and functional aspects of architecture in Qatar. Historically, in the old architecture of Qatar, the urban development of cities and villages was based on the creation of agglomerations of housing units. These agglomerations were the essence of traditional Qatari architecture which can be defined as architecture of social values, derived from a combination of different factors such as religion, privacy, and the extended family. After the discovery of oil, Qatar became a wealthy country and saw the introduction of a new modern language which did not reflect the vernacular architecture.

This is the most comprehensive publication on the stunning new architecture of Qatar, highlighting more than fifty projects.

With growing evidence of unsustainable use of the world's resources, such as hydrocarbon reserves, and related environmental pollution, as in alarming climate change predictions, sustainable development is arguably the prominent issue of the 21st century.nbsp; This volume gives a wide ranging introduction focusing on the arid Gulf region, where the challenges of sustainable development are starkly evident. The Gulf relies on non-renewable oil and gas exports to supply the world's insatiable CO2 emitting energy demands, and has built unsustainable conurbations with water supplies dependent on energy hungry desalination plants and deep aquifers pumped beyond natural replenishment rates. Sustainable Development has an interdisciplinary focus, bringing together university faculty and government personnel from the Gulf, Europe, and North America -- including social and natural scientists, environmentalists and economists, architects and planners -- to discuss topics such as sustainable natural resource use and urbanization, industrial and technological development, economy and politics, history and geography.nbsp;

This provocative collection of essays is the first book-length treatment of the development of modern architecture in the Middle East. Ranging from Jerusalem at the turn of the twentieth century to Libya under Italian colonial rule, postwar Turkey, and on to present-day Iraq, the essays cohere around the historical encounter between the politics of nation-building and architectural modernism's new materials, methods, and motives. Architecture, as physical infrastructure and as symbolic expression, provides an exceptional window onto the powerful forces that shaped the modern Middle East and that continue to dominate it today. Experts in this volume demonstrate the political dimensions of both creating the built environment and, subsequently, inhabiting it. In revealing the tensions between achieving both international relevance and regional meaning, Modernism in the Middle East affords a dynamic view of the ongoing confrontations of deep traditions with rapid modernization. Political and cultural historians, as well as architects and urban planners, will find fresh material here on a range of diverse practices.

"A well-written survey of contemporary architectural projects in the Arab world. The book represents a valuable, sincere, and much-needed effort to address a gap in the literature as it relates to the built environment in the Middle East. In addition to presenting a select set of projects, the author provides an insightful and concise critique setting them within the larger context of the region."--Yasser Elsheshtawy, United Arab Emirates University "An important document that catalogues and illustrates the last decade of architectural projects and buildings in countries of the Middle East and Arabian Gulf region."--Salma Samar Damluji, author of The Architecture of Yemen "A lucid and jargon-free investigation of 110 projects, from small houses to the world's tallest building, erected or envisioned during the last decade in the region between the Mediterranean and the Gulf. A masterful view by an experienced observer of architecture as commodity in the contemporary Arab world."--Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom, Boston College At the end of the first Gulf War, the Middle East entered a new era of architectural and urban development defined by increased levels of globalization and private sector investment. In the decade that followed, the region was home to a wealth of architectural projects that challenged conventional thinking about architecture and the Middle East itself. The outside world typically views the region as dominated by violence. The international media's coverage of the Middle East often emphasizes political instability and brewing problems. Frequently overlooked is the economic and political stability that prevailed in many countries in the region during the past few decades and the possibilities for growth and development. The occasional rocking of the boat brought about by surges in political or religious extremism, military adventurism, decreases in oil prices, or acts of terrorism  did not undermine that overall stability. The passion with which building projects have been carried out in the Middle East is one reflection of a faith and belief in the potentialities of this growing part of the world. Mohammad al-Asad provides an in-depth examination of more than one hundred projects, from homes and schools to hotels and religious centers, with a stop at the world's tallest building along the way. Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism in the Middle East examines the economic, political, and cultural context in which the projects were conceived and built. The book's photographs bring attention to previously unaddressed aspects of modern Arabic architecture, highlighting local talent emerging throughout the region.

These articles seek to highlight the changing social dynamics in Middle Eastern and South Asian cities. The comparative framework builds on a shared history of the colonial encounter, modernity, nationalism and urbanity and is further deepened by the larger framework of Muslim culture that influences social life in both spaces. The various chapters rethink the gendered dimension of public spaces and investigate the relationship between the popular and the political in these regions. They also take into account how larger structural changes in South Asia/the Middle East have impacted the practices and experiences of people. This focus addresses the lack of social histories that explore urban life-worlds in an era of de-industrialization and major structural changes such as are available for many cities in other regions of the world. It hence provides an interdisciplinary analysis that informs us about how transnational flows of ideas and resources shape certain responses to deprivation and marginality, yet also encourage political passivity and inaction. Raising such questions in a comparative context is essential to refocus research agendas and to inspire new studies. The volume is unique as, for the first time, it puts the field of urban studies within the two regions in a dialogue with each other and with similar efforts across the globe.

The ongoing debate among practitioners and in academia about the meaning and understanding of Islamic architecture will be energized by this book. It contains essays by architects and academics from various parts of the world which clarify how the carious disciplines of the design profession can be employed to build in the spirit of Islam. Divided into three sections the book covers: *meaning from Faith, which draws meaning from the Islamic faith in order to propose a built environment that is universally beneficial *analysis of History, which examines historical buildings and planning concepts, and suggest how to apply lessons learned to contemporary practice *contemporary Trends, which discusses current trends in architecture, education and socio-economic aspects of various Muslim countries. Illustrated throughout, this book will appeal to students and scholars, practising architects and planners alike.

Virtually all the masterpieces of Islamic art - the Alhambra, the Taj Mahal and the Tahmasp Shahnama - were produced during the period from the Mongol conquests in the early 13th century to the advent of European colonial rule in the 19th century. This work surveys the architecture and arts of the traditional Islamic lands during this era.

What is 'art' in the sense of the Islamic tradition? Mohammed Hamdouni Alami argues that Islamic art has historically been excluded from Western notions of art; that the Western aesthetic tradition's preoccupation with the human body, and the ban on the representation of the human body in Islam, has meant that Islamic and Western art have been perceived as inherently at odds. However, the move away from this 'anthropomorphic aesthetic' in Western art movements, such as modern abstract and constructivist painting, have presented the opportunity for new ways of viewing and evaluating Islamic art and architecture. This book questions the very idea of art predicated on the anthropocentric bias of classical art, and the corollary 'exclusion' of Islamic art from the status of art. It addresses a central question in post-classical aesthetic theory, in as much as the advent of modern abstract and constructivist painting have shown that art can be other than the representation of the human body; that art is not neutral aesthetic contemplation but it is fraught with power and violence; and that the presupposition of classical art was not a universal truth but the assumption of a specific cultural and historical set of practices and vocabularies. Based on close readings of classical Islamic literature, philosophy, poetry, medicine and theology, along with contemporary Western art theory, the author uncovers a specific Islamic theoretical vision of art and architecture based on poetic practice, politics, cosmology and desire. In particular it traces the effects of decoration and architectural planning on the human soul as well as the centrality of the gaze in this poetic view - in Arabic 'nazar'- while examining its surprising similarity to modern theories of the gaze. Through this double gesture, moving critically between two traditions, the author brings Islamic thought and aesthetics back into the realm of visibility, addressing the lack of recognition in comparison with other historical periods and traditions. This is an important step toward a critical analysis of the contemporary debate around the revival of Islamic architectural identity - a debate intricately embedded within opposing Islamic political and social projects throughout the world.