Khaleeji: An architecture of the Gulf

The global cultural landscape is becoming depressingly uniform.

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This applies to all market segments, from middle to luxury, and most sectors – particularly hospitality, retail and residential.

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Financiers speak of fragmented markets and press for “integrated solutions”. Markets suffer from an oversupply of the average and uninspiring.

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What is needed in design terms is clarity of vision.

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An architecture of clarity is one of the particular and local, which speaks of the place it inhabits and to the people who inhabit it.

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“Khaleeji” (خليجي) – “of the Gulf” – refers to people, culture, dialects, or items originating from the Arab states of the Persian Gulf: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Oman. It signifies a shared regional identity, often encompassing traditional music, cuisine, fashion, and the specific Khaleeji Arabic dialect spoken in the region.

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“Of the Gulf.” Architecturally, now is the time.‍

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What does this mean?

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• An architecture which is location-specific
• An architecture of the present and future; not Disneyland, not historical pastiche
• Built environments which are more environmentally responsive – cooler in summer and which cost less to air-condition
• Environments which are more socially responsive, providing the right balance between privacy and civic life
• Environments which are pedestrianised, connected and shaded – which speak of the modern-day souq and the colonnaded courtyard garden
• Environments which tell you where you are – and that you have arrived somewhere unique and precious.

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Uniqueness and appropriately articulated cultural expression – together with climate responsiveness – are, in fact, what will now drive the value proposition.