This study introduces an eminent acting architect in the Arab World, working with a deep understanding of his rich heritage and culture, and full awareness of his moral duty in producing architecture that respects and reflects this special culture besides satisfying functional needs of the end-users.

1. THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
ARCH 9050 FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE
RASEM BADRAN Globalisation and Architecture
Dr. Anna Rubbo
Semester 2, 2003
This study will introduce an eminent acting architect in the Islamic World, working
with a deep understanding of his rich heritage and culture, and full awareness of his
moral duty in producing an architecture that respect and reflect this special culture as
well as functional needs of the end-users, to create a culturally appropriate
architecture without neglecting the contemporary technologies and methodologies. He
reinterprets the traditional building techniques and elements to develop a
contemporary architecture, inseparable from its social environment and location. One
of his projects will be introduced, discussing its importance in restoring a nearly lost
identity and heritage of its location.
Yousef Taibeh
SID: 033980

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 3
2. RASEM BADRAN................................................................. 4
3. RIYADH: A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ...................... 7
4. REDEVELOPMENT OF QASR AL-HUKM ...................... 10
5. CONCLUSION..................................................................... 14
REFERENCES ......................................................................... 15
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Number of words: 2, 664 word (excluding the summary and the conclusion)
Cover image source: Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE), http://csbe.org/,
INTERNET [October 28, 2003].
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3. 1. INTRODUCTION
The Middle East region has a well established built tradition and rich culture,
diverging from one country to another or within the different provinces of the same
country, a common core line of shared believes, history and language, historically
combined these different communities and building idioms in one major category
under the Arab Islamic umbrella.
This local architecture of the area faced hard times with the second half of the
twentieth century, the time of the blind fascinating with the imported styles and
building idioms, this ignorant of the local heritage was most evident in the Gulf
States, as these countries were able to import what ever new and fashionable in the
West or the East, after the oil discovery the Gulf area and the attendant economic
boom in the region. This attitude has resulted in nearly loosing the special character
and the identity of these countries, and made the Muslim Arabs strangers in there own
cities.
Fortunately, and by early 80, a new awareness was forming with the emergence of
professional local architects, who tried to deal with the different geographical, cultural
and social aspects of the region, and its special and distinctive condition, one these
architects is the Jordanian Architect Rasem Badran. Another important acting factor
in forming this awareness was a number of Agencies and Authorities, such as The
Aga Khan Foundation, The Organization of Arab Cities and Ar-Riyadh Development
Authority. These agencies participated in retaining the appreciation of the local
architecture and insuring its superiority over imported foreign types.
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4. 2. RASEM BADRAN
The Jordanian Architect Rasem Badran is one of the most
important contemporary Architects in the Middle East
region, his ideas have great influence on the architectural
realm, and on the newly graduated architects there, his
projects are appreciated internationally as examples of
excellence and importance for the development of the area,
these projects are firmly rooted in the context of the Islamic
and Arab world heritage, without loosing the close touch
with international contemporary architectural (Institut Für
Figure 1
Auslandsbeziehungen), many of these projects have received
international and regional awards, such as Palestine Award
for Architecture in 1997, Arabic Architects prize Award from Arab Housing Ministers
in 1997, Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1995, and Arab Architecture award
from the Arab City Organization in 1990. Badran himself also has been awarded with
an honorary Ph.D. from the Jordan University for science and Technology to honour
his contributions to the field of architecture. In addition to that, Badran has served on
a number of international architectural juries, including the International Jury of the
Jamaican General Governor’s Award for Architecture in 1992, the Master Jury of the
Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1989, and the Master Jury for the Organization
of Arab Cities in 1985 (Dar al-Omran).
Rasem Badran was born in Jerusalem-West Bank in 1945, he received his first artistic
training from his father Jamal, an Islamic calligraphy and ornamentation artist, who
worked on the restoration of the AI-Aqsa Mosque. His school education was in the
nearby town of Ramallah, and then he continued his further education in Darmstadt
Germany where he graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1970. Following his
graduation he worked in Germany for two years and there he had the opportunity to
be involved in the design of the visitor service facilities for the Olympic Stadium in
Munich, and to participate in the first prize winning project among 250 entries for an
international competition of designing a low cost housing, sponsored by the German
Ministry of Housing (Abu Hamdan, 1987; Dar al-Omran).
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5. He returned to Jordan in 1973 and began his work with a
realization of series of impressive private houses,
displaying the residual effect of his modernist training in
the West through a functionalist approach to form, with
experimentations on the physical potentials of the local
white limestone. Consequently, he created a partnership
with other two Jordanian engineers and started to
concentrate on local and international competitions, and
on projects of considerable scale. From here, Badran
pursued farther commissions in other countries of the Figure 2
region, like Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and the Gulf states,
expanding his vocabulary and frame of reference to include new typologies and
elements (Steele, 1991). In these different countries Badran tried to study and analyze
the local traditional architecture and the embedded spatial relations in it, then to
interpret these idioms without direct copying to it, creating a dialogue between present
and past to introduce a contemporary architecture undetected from its location,
cultural heritage and society (Badran, 1988).
With an emerging awareness of the special identity in these countries and the growing
appreciation of local heritage, Badran's approach seemed to be the quest of the
different authorities in these countries, and consequently his projects were chosen
over other international projects participating in the major architectural competitions
held in the area like Qatar Islamic Arts Museum (1997), the Sidon Sea front
Development (1996), Darat al-Malik Abdula’ziz Complex in Riyadh (1994), Qasr al-
Hukm Mosque and Palace Complex in Riyadh (1985), and the Baghdad State Mosque
(1982). , in these huge projects issues of urban design and regional development were
most essential (CSBE).
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6. The following text will introduce Badran’s work in Riyadh-Saudi Arabia, especially
the Great Mosque project; discussing its important position in the city and the
surrounding political and social circumstances of this location over time, and the
impact the project had on the revitalization of that essential part within the structure of
the city. A historical brief will be introduced first putting this project within its
context, in the heart of Riyadh, the fast growing city, with disappearing traditional
architecture.
Figure 3
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7. 3. RIYADH: A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Riyadh, the capital of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is
located in the center of Arabian Peninsula in Najd area,
an area traditionally isolated from any external
influence. It first emerged as an urban center in 1824
when the founder of the second Saudi state (1824191)
Turki bin Sa'ud made it his capital. In 1902 Riyadh was
restored by king Abdula’ziz Al Sa'ud, the founder of
the third Saudi state, which evolved into the present day Figure 4
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since 1902 Riyadh has
grown in area from 1 square kilometer to more than 1,500 km², and in population
from 15,000 people to nearly 4.5 millions (Musa, and al-Asad, 2003).
An eight-meter high
defensive mud and bricks
wall circled the 1 square
kilometer old city, in the
center of the city three main
buildings existed: al-
Masmak Fortress, Qasr al-
Hukm (the Justice palace),
and al-Masjid al-Jami' (the
Congregational Mosque), a
bridge was linking the
Figure 5
palace with the mosque to
provide a direct path for the
governor from the palace, to the mosque, where he performed prayers, particularly the
Eid Prayers. This building arrangement was common in many traditional Islamic
settlements, to show that the mosque was the source of legislation and the ruler's
inspiration. The commercial and communal activities used to take place in the
adjacent Sahat aI' Adle (the Justice Square) (ibid.).
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8. In mid 1930s, Riyadh extended for
the first time outside its walls, this
was marked by the construction of
the walled palatial complex Qasar al-
Murabba' (the Square Palace
400x400m) located 2 km to the north
of the old city. The construction of
al-Murabba' had a strong impact on
Figure 6 the growth of the city by initiating
building expansion beyond the city walls and marking the primary direction of this
expansion to the north of the old city. New technologies were introduced for first time
in Riyadh with this building, as the use of the automobile as a mean of transportation.
Never the less, this complex retained much of the general features of the urban
patterns of the Najd region, characterized by solid masses, covered streets, with the
sun-dried mud bricks and TamaIi-sk tree trunks as the main building materials,
appropriate for the dry and very hot climate of the area. Al-Murabba' palace was a
positive example of the adaptation of traditional building technologies to large scale
projects (ibid.).
In 1950 the first reinforced concrete rural palace was constructed in al-Nasariyah
Farm 6.5 km west of Riyadh center, this building marked the departure from the build
tradition of the region, and open the doors for importing other foreign building
idioms, like the dominant orthogonal grid planning pattern of Riyadh, which was first
used here. The fifties witnessed a huge program of modem development, when
Abdula’ziz's successor, King Sa'ud transferred the government offices from Mecca to
Riyadh to ensure its place as the capital of the kingdom. Subsequently, new buildings
were constructed to house the different ministries, all in the modem-style of that era,
changing the traditional provincial character of the city (Musa, and al-Asad, 2003;
Shuaibi, and al-Hathloul. 1984).
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9. At that time there was a
huge ignorant of local
heritage and building
traditions, it was regarded
disgraceful to have an
official building made of
mud, most of the mud
structures were easily
demolished to create new
straight lines and provide
better access to city center. Figure 7
Riyadh city expanded
horizontally to fill quickly its gridiron master plan especially during the construction
boom after the rise in oil prices in the 70s, many international Architects and
Companies participated in this early example of globalized competition, architects and
firms from the weight of the well known American architect Minoru Yamasaki, and
the leading Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, the two American firms The Architects
Collaborative (TAC), and Hellmuth, Obata +Kassabaum (HOK) (ibid.).
By the mid of the 1980s an emerging Arab and Saudi architects started to play a major
role in Riyadh a new awareness started to be formed regarding architecture and
building construction. Those architects responded in different ways to the climatic
constrains and the local architectural heritage the area, another important factor in
forming this awareness was Ar-Riyadh Development Authority, the independent
governmental entity responsible for the planning and development of Riyadh city, this
Authority undertook many important development projects in the city, one of these
projects is the redevelopment of Qasr al-Hukm District and King Abdula’ziz
Historical Center, Rasem Badran had a major role in actualizing this ambitious
scheme together with other pioneering Arab architects like Adel-Halem Ibrahim from
Egypt, and Ali Shuaibi from Saudi Arabia,. The next section shed more light on this
project and its impact on the city and the community (ibid.).
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10. 4. REDEVELOPMENT OF QASR AL-HUKM
The redevelopment and revitalization of Qasr al-Hukm District first started in the mid
of the 1970s, when the Italian architect Marco Albini was commissioned to carry out a
conceptual urban design for the district, he also was in charge of designing a number
of buildings situated in this central area. Towards the end of the 1970s, the Saudi firm
Beeah Group Consultants conducted some modifications to the internal spaces of the
buildings and incorporated the vocabularies of Najdi architecture into the facades. In
1981, the Beeah Group Consultants also were commissioned to carry out the urban
design of the whole Qasr al-Hukm District (Musa, and al-Asad, 2003).
During the mid 1980s, the
second phase of started, Ar-
Riyadh Development
Authority conditioned that
the designer must be a
believer in the Islamic faith
and a practitioner of Islamic
culture, a competition was
conducted and architect
Figure 8
Rasem Badran of Shubeilat
Badran Associates (later renamed Dar al-Omran) was chosen to design the buildings
of the Great Mosque of Riyadh, and Qasr al-Hukm, on the same location of the no
longer extant al-Masjid al-Jami' and old Qasr al-Hukm, the scope of work also
included the urban development of the adjacent public squares, particularly al-'Adl
Square, and streets as well as parts of the walls of the old city and its gates and towers
in addition to some offices and commercial facilities (ibid.).
Badran analyzed the environmental, climatic and cultural factors, as well as the local
traditions and social patterns of behaviour, in order to re-create the spatial character of
the Najdi architecture idiom. The mosque is set within public areas, recreating the
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11. traditional place of worship as the part of the urban fabric. Traditional component,
such as courtyards, arcades and the prayer hall, are emphasized. and two square
minarets acting as a landmarks identifying the city center and marking the Qipla
direction (the direction of the Muslim prayer, which faces the city of Mecca),
obviously different from the direction of the surrounding streets, Badran solved this
problem by reviving the Riwaq a common element in the region, providing a roofless
screen which articulates the various components of the complex and provide a smooth
transition between the different directions of the mosque and surrounding streets. The
Riwaq also housed a number of small shops in some places. Another gesture was the
recreating of the traditional linking bridge between the mosque and the Justice Palace.
There are no domes over the prayer hall, which reflects a deep understanding of the
social aspects of the regions, as in this area the domes are mainly associated with
tombs, columns on a nine by nine meter grid evoke earlier palm trunk construction,
the columnar structures and beams contains the ventilation ducts of the air
conditioning units on the roof, each unit can be controlled individually to adjust
cooling needs according to the occupancy of the mosque, resulting in reduced
operating costs (Davidson, 1995).
Figure 9
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12. The exterior walls of the mosque are clad in local limestone, and the restrained use of
small triangular openings organized in patterns both resembles traditional building
practice and helps to diminish the harsh glare of the sun in the interior spaces.
Courtyards and open squares are aligned towards the Qibla so that they can be used as
additional prayer area during feasts days and Fridays. Granite seats and benches, as
well as drinking water fountains, have been provided for the general public, and the
area is landscaped with palm trees to provide shade. The massing of the buildings and
the articulation of spaces and court-yards evoke a traditional character, even though
the construction materials and the design of the buildings are completely modern
(ibid.).
Figure 10
This project addresses the problems of urban space in the centre of a modern
metropolis meeting complex demands new program for a site of a historical
importance. The architectural solutions responded to the local lifestyle, climate and
physical surroundings. The spatial character and iconography of the project provide a
sense of continuity with the historical context, through the reinterpretation of the
language of traditional Najdi architecture and through retaining the position of the
mosque in the heart of the Islamic city as a place of worship as well as the center of
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13. commercial and communal activities, Badran demonstrated in this project mastery of
building techniques and a deep understanding of the culture of the area. The use of
modern materials and technologies, such as air conditioning, is unobtrusive and does
not detract from the quite sense of spirituality inside the mosque. The sequence of
open courtyards is skilful and sensitive, the architect succeeded in creating a modern
urban complex while still retaining the essence of its traditional frame, demonstrating
the advantage of the local architecture heritage over foreign imports (ibid.).
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14. 5. CONCLUSION
Many lessons can be learned from Qasr al-Hukm project, one important lesson is that
architecture is for people, it is the embodiment of their history, life and ambitions,
architecture should not be dealt with as an sculpture or piece of art, reflecting the
intellectuality of the designer, away from the needs and demands of the users. In this
aspect Rasem Badran describes Qasr al-Hukm project as: “a master plan for a way of
life, rather than just a visual exercise or personal expression of man’s desires and
cultural background. Architecture has to be an embodiment of human and moral
concepts … We should seek those special characteristics within the social
environment that can offer the society an identity” (Abu Hamdan, 1987). Qasr al-
Hukm project reside in heart of the city and the community, the memory of the place
was stimulated as the public feast and ceremonies are held here again after more then
fifty years of amnesia.
Figure 11
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15. REFERENCES
Abu Hamdan, Akram. 1987. Rasem Badran of Jordan. In MIMAR 25: Architecture in
Development. Singapore: Concept Media Ltd, pp. 50-70
Badran, Rasem. 1988. Historical References and Contemporary Design. In Theories
and Principles of Design in the Architecture of Islamic Societies. Margaret Bentley
Sevcenko (ed). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Aga Khan Program for Islamic
Architecture, pp. 149-59
Davidson, Cynthia C. 1995. Great Mosque of Riyadh and Old City Centre
Redevelopment. In Architecture Beyond Architecture. Cynthia C. Davidson, and
Ismail Serageldin, eds. London: Academy Editions, pp.84-93
Musa, Majd and Mohamed al-Asad. 2003. Riyadh Architecture in One Hundred
Years. An essay on a public lecture presented by Saleh al-Hathloul at Darat al-Funun,
Amman on April 21, 2002. available from: http://csbe.org/, INTERNET [October 28,
2003].
Shuaibi, Ali and Saleh al-Hathloul. 1984. The Justice Palace District, Riyadh. In
Continuity and Change: Design Strategies for Large-Scale Urban Development.
Margaret Bentley Sevcenko (ed). Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Aga Khan Program
for Islamic Architecture, pp. 37-48
Steele, James. 1991. Recent Work by Rasem Badran. In MIMAR 41: Architecture in
Development. London: Concept Media Ltd, pp. 42-49
Agencies and Authorities:
Aga Khan Award for Architecture, web site: http://www.akdn.org/
Ar-Riyadh Development Authority, web site: http://arriyadh.com/
Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE), web site: http://csbe.org/
Dar al-Omran Company, web site: http://www.daralomran.com/
Institut Für Auslandsbeziehungen, web site: http://www.ifa.de/
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