Conservative and Adaptive Reuse Interventions in Qatar

Abstract

Abstract In the past decades, many Gulf cities have faced accelerated growth that has generated complicated problems of urbanization. Some Arab cities have transformed massive urban development into new global cities despite their relatively short history. Contrasting the direction of the rapid urbanization, there is a growing interest in the conservation and rehabilitation of the local heritage, which has generated a perpetual conflict between the construction of contemporary identity and the promotion of traditional architecture. The new emerging Arab cities, in the struggle for the construction of their new architectural identity, showed a growing interest in the action needed to preserve architectural heritage. The number of conservation projects has increased recognition of the local traditions in construction, rejuvenating the historical value of the Qatari heritage. This paper shows significant examples of conservation and adaptive reuse projects recently completed in Qatar. The intention is to describe several conservation interventions, compare the proposals for reusing the restored artifacts, and compare the preservation methodologies and techniques within the historical, political, and social forces that inform preservation practices. The research presents a possible methodology for classifying the proposals offering a new approach for comparing the interventions that could be applied to other adaptive reuse projects.