As part of efforts by Dubai Municipality to preserve the heritage of the city represented by the old buildings dating back to the 60’s and 70’s in order to document and protect these buildings, the Municipality is collaborating with several government organisations that own these buildings.
They were briefed on the Municipality’s Modern Heritage Initiative and clarified the importance of this stage of the history of urban development in Dubai, as many of these buildings are considered part of the memory of the place and contribute to the story of the development of the emirate towards modernity and global status.
Dubai Municipality is collaborating with a group of partners such as the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Al Baraha Hospital, Knowledge Fund Establishment,Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and the World Trade Center. The project will be launched jointly by the Planning Department and the Architectural Heritage Department in the Municipality.
Eng Najib Mohammed Saleh, director of Planning Department at Dubai Municipality, said: “The department, in cooperation with the Architectural Heritage Department, has chosen a short list of buildings as a first stage to protect these buildings. The list includes Dubai World Trade Center, Clock Tower, Al Baraha Hospital, Al Khuloud Nursery and Al Ras Library.”
Eng Ahmed Mahmoud, director of Architectural Heritage Department said that the Department has been working on a list of the most important buildings dating back to the sixties and seventies of cultural, social, architectural and tourist values to protect them. Many of these buildings still occupy major positions and perform important functions. The buildings have had a great impact on shaping the urban environment and crystallising the architectural character of the 1960s and 1970s of Dubai’s development.
The Dubai World Trade Center, built in 1973 by architect John Harris, is an architectural landmark that reflects the harmony of local architecture with modernity. It is the first skyscraper in the region.
The old Al Baraha Hospital was one of the first hospitals to be built in Deira in 1966 at the expense of the government of Kuwait. The 100-bed hospital was designed by John Harris as part of the city expansion, which was later called Al Baraha Hospital, where doctors were able to handle surgery and treatment. The design of the building was based on a multi-section design, which is spread over the different sections of the hospital. The building has open spaces in the center for ventilation and natural lighting, and the building still offers its services to the patients, in spite of its presence near DubaiHospital.
The list also includes Al Ras Library, built in 1963 under the guidance of Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. It was the first library in Dubai that reflects the interest of leaders in education and culture to promote the local community.
Al Khuloud Nursery School in Karama is also on the list as an architectural model of the buildings that were designed in that period and reflects the extent to which modernity fits with traditional architecture by focusing on natural lighting and shaded spaces. Its history dates back to 1975 and is one of the good examples that reflect through the design idea on how to respond to the functional requirements for the establishment of an educational space for children and also taking into account the environmental and aesthetic aspects. The design of the building was adopted as a model that was replicated in many areas, one of which is located in the Emirate of Sharjah.