About This project investigates Abu Dhabi’s modern architectural heritage from 1960 to 1990, a period marked by rapid urbanisation and the emergence of a distinctive modernist language tied to state-building and infrastructural growth. Despite its cultural value, much of this heritage remains undocumented and vulnerable due to limited awareness, policy gaps, and physical deterioration. The […]

Dr Ayman Fathy Ashour Dr Wael Ali Rashdan About This project examines how the architectural exchange between Kuwait and the UAE in the late 20th century shaped both modern heritage and national identity, with a case study focus on federal public buildings such as post offices. The UAE’s formation in 1971–72 marked a decisive moment […]

About This project explores the modern urban heritage of the UAE by documenting and analysing markets built or expanded between 1960 and 2000, a formative period in the nation’s development. Moving beyond iconic architecture, it highlights markets as vital social, cultural, and political spaces that shaped urban life and identity during the country’s rapid transformation. […]

About This project documents the cultural and urban heritage of Karama, one of Dubai’s earliest planned residential neighbourhoods, through oral histories and ethnographic research. Developed in the 1970s, Karama has evolved from a mid‑rise residential district into a vibrant mixed‑use area, shaped by migration, informal adaptation, and community life. Rapid redevelopment pressures now threaten its […]

About This research investigates the overlooked legacy of Rifat Chadirji, one of the Middle East’s most influential modern architects, whose work bridged tradition and modernity across Iraq and the Gulf. While best known for his projects in Baghdad, newly uncovered archives at the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT reveal over forty of his designs […]

About This project explores the architectural legacy of precast concrete in the United Arab Emirates, focusing on its pivotal role during the nation-building decades of the 1970s–2000s. While UAE architecture is often framed between vernacular heritage and futuristic skylines, this study highlights the overlooked middle period defined by rapid development and pragmatic construction. Precast concrete […]

Salma Gharbi Emna Touiti About This book examines the architectural exchange between Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates during the second half of the 20th century, focusing on projects by the Bulgarian firms Technoexportstroy and Bulgarproekt. Emerging during a global wave of post-independence modernization, these collaborations reveal how architecture became a medium for political identity, […]