Dubai Municipality mulls preservation of old buildings
DUBAI, August 4, 2018
Dubai Municipality is collaborating with several government entities as part of its efforts to preserve the heritage of the city, represented by old buildings dating back to the sixties and seventies.
In this connection, the civic body recently organised a meeting with these organisations including the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Al Baraha Hospital, Knowledge Fund Establishment, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and the World Trade Centre that own these buildings.
They were briefed on the municipality's 'Modern Heritage' initiative and 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, said a top official.
The project will be launched jointly by the Planning Department and the Architectural Heritage Department of the municipality, stated Najib Mohammed Saleh, the director of the Planning Department.
"We have readied a shortlist of buildings including Dubai World Trade Centre, Clock Tower, Al Baraha Hospital, Al Khuloud Nursery and Al Ras Library in the first stage," he noted.
Ahmed Mahmoud, the director of the Architectural Heritage Department, pointed out that 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," observed Mahmoud.
The Dubai World Trade Centre, 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, said a statement from Dubai Municipality.
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 design of the building was based on a multi-section design, which is spread over the different sections of the hospital.
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, it stated.
The Dubai Public Library has been a vital platform for constructive dialogue and exchange of ideas between people of various cultures for more than 50 years, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
