Author(s)

R W Hawker

Abstract

This paper examines the perception of vernacular architecture in the modem cities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and how this view creates obstacles in sustaining historic building forms and techniques. I argue that the greatest obstacle is the complex symbolic role that these buildings play in modem nation- building. While historic buildings are viewed with nostalgia, they are also not deemed suitable for contemporary life and have been isolated in the process of economic arid social development. Separated from enlivening social activities, historic architecture in the UAE seems destined to survive only as outdoor museum displays. 1 Introduction In order to understand the meaning the vernacular architecture of the past now holds, it is important to see the contrasts, both social and physical, that the UAE has experienced over the last generation. I thus provide an overview of the dramatic social changes brought on by oil, compare two important buildings in Dubai (one dating to 1896 and the other to 1999) and discuss the challenges of sustaining vernacular architecture. The uses that controlled the buildings’ construction have disappeared, the relationship to the natural environment has been re-defined, and settlement patterns have dramatically reshaped. Finally, I offer some observations on what might be done to encourage the appreciation of historic buildings and the expanded role they might play in contemporary life.

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