Building tall in the Arabian Gulf: Perception | performance | place-making

Skyscrapers are arguably impressive, excessive, essential and ubiquitous in the intense landscapes of contemporary global cities. As a typology these towers are unparalleled in their costs, demands, parameters and presence. Perhaps more so than any region on the planet, the realities, including both remarkable challenges and outstanding opportunities, of building tall is illustrated and demonstrated in the emerging urban centres of the Arabian Gulf . Despite the massive impacts of this building type, and especially on the burgeoning cities in the Gulf States, research concerning place-making, social perceptions, and sustainable performance (i.e., systemic views) is undeniably lacking. The cities in this region have changed dramatically – transforming overnight from traditional human-scaled settlements, built by local materials and local expertise, into the modern oil-driven technology-propelled metropolitan hubs of today. Over the past two decades the Arab Gulf area has witnessed unprecedented urban growth, especially in vertical constructions which have flourished in Emirates cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and more recently in neighbouring Doha (Qatar), Kuwait City (Kuwait), and Riyadh & Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). In relatively spectacular bursts of development these cities have seen their skylines erupt, their streets defined and their buildings soar. Such transformation has multiple impacts on the city, including the shaping of a metropolitan image, influences on inhabitant perceptions and traction towards a more sustainable tomorrow. To gain a better understanding of the impacts of tall buildings in Arabian Gulf Cities, the researchers consider urban growth in three pivotal Gulf cities (Dubai, Kuwait City and Doha) from the early 1970s until present times. The present paper, a reporting of ongoing research in this stimulating field, encompasses two main parts: the first part outlines and explores master plans for each city, with aim to delineate policy and strategies for tall buildings, while the second part reviews work on several building case studies from each city, with a goal to critically examine aspects pertaining to perception, performance and place-making. The paper surveys at a general level the phenomenon of building tall, then moves beyond the general to tackle the specific, unique and compelling context, culture and circumstances of designing and delivering towers in the Arabian Gulf. A key outcome is an innovative framework for building tall in Gulf cities – a timely and necessary contribution that promises to help designers + developers and policymakers + politicians, to reconsider a more viable, responsible and successful path for these soaring, momentous, intensive and iconic skyscrapers. Considering the intense pressures for our buildings to reach higher, and the serious implications of housing greater numbers of occupants in our towers, there remains a pressing need to realize better understanding, more effective methods, and more sustainable outcomes.