Introduction
United Arab Emirates is one of the fastest-growing economies in the Middle East which has been necessitated as a result of massive oil deposits and their high prices in the world market. This has increased revenue to the government and hence a lot of infrastructures are being put up some of which are unique to themselves in the world. In the Middle East, the summer period is usually characterized by hot and humid weather which therefore calls for appropriate measures to be put in place to ensure that the environment becomes conducive for human survival. Some of the measures to be put in place include building houses that will allow the room to be cool although the temperature outside may be recorded to have reached over forty degrees Celsius. This paper tries to explore some of the aspects of United Arab Emirates architecture that has made her a force to reckon with in the contemporary world. Furthermore, the paper looks at the positive and negative side effects of modern architecture in the UAE as well as her futuristic plans regarding the architecture.
According to the Oxford Business Group (2008), modern architecture has been described as the art and science of designing and putting up structures such as houses, offices, as well as museums. Modern architecture he says has mainly been used in the twentieth century because in this period there has been a lot of technological advancement and hence the need to match architecture with the modernizing society needs. In the United Arab Emirates, there are several structures that have been put up that have left many people amazed because of their unique architectural work involved. Some of them include the Palm Jumeriah, the World Burj Arab Hotel, Emirates Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Bridge, and the Khalifa Bridge. For example, the Khalifa Bridge is put up in such a way that when a ship is crossing to dock or coming from the dock, the bridge can open automatically to allow the ship to cross and close once the ship has gone past it. Today the Burj Dubai is the tallest building in the world.
Characteristics of modern architecture in the UAE
Freiberger (2007) notes that compared to the previous years of architectural work the modern architecture has a number of characteristics that are very different from buildings built about sixty to seventy years ago.
Use of software
Modern architecture has incorporated the use of computers and computer software to help in the designing of a structure. With the use of software such as AutoCAD and arch cad, the architecture is able to draw and design a structure in such a way that it is easier to note the probable weak points and thus put precautions to avoid an accident from happening.
Energy saving
In addition, Shane (2011) contends that due to the effect of global warming the architects are now designing houses that can retain energy which in turn is used in lighting up the houses. This way they can reduce the amount of carbon emitted in the atmosphere while using non-renewable sources of energy such as oil.
Government support
The government has also allowed the architects to think of anything that can be put up. Freiberger (2007) adds that ‘there are no constraints on architectural vision, the artist is encouraged to dream the impossible and is free to create it. Another characteristic associated with modern architecture in the United Arab Emirates is the use of foreign technology in their work. The government has spent a lot of money in bringing in foreign expertise that has contributed immensely to revolutionizing her architectural sector. It is a result of this government commitment that previously unheard off structures have come up easily and safely.
Positive effects of modern architecture in the UAE
In everything that is invented, there must be the positive and negative things that are attributed to it no matter how good it is. Some of the positive effects of this include:
Revenue
The government revenue has increased from the earnings by tourists who come to visit some of these amazing structures. Salma (2010) contends that World Burj Arab Hotel had her rooms booked in the first three months after it was officially opened. He attributes this to the fact that many tourists wanted to have that first experience in sleeping in the world tallest building.
Sufficient energy
The other positive thing about the modern architecture in UAE is that there is sufficient supply of energy to almost all homesteads and in offices. This has been possible because the buildings have been made in such a way that they are able to store the energy from the sun for future use. This has led to decreased dependence on supply from the national grid.
Safety
Furthermore, the modern architecture has helped UAE to come up with structures that are safely constructed. With the use of modern calculating and measurement tools the architects are able to accurately come up with a very complicated design that is secure such as buildings and bridges. Their work has also helped in making air conditioning of houses possible and as result the life of the citizens made easier to live.
Negative effects of modern architecture in the UAE
On the other hand the modern architecture in the United Arab Emirates has been noted to have a number of side effects some of which include the following:
Cost of buying a house
The cost of acquiring a house for example has continued to on the rise because of the technology used in constructing it. Oxford Business Group (2008) has argued that houses built in the previous years are cheap because they lack some of the materials installed in the modern houses. As a result they argue that many potential home buyers have been locked out because they cannot afford the price attached to such houses.
Environment pollution
Although modern architecture has led to construction of modern industries, Shane (2011) says that these industries have continued to emit more carbon in the atmosphere thus contributing to environment pollution although it is considered minute compared to the ones emitted from China and the United States of America.
Futuristic plans of modern architecture in the UAE
Today the government of the United Arab Emirate has invested a lot of money in trying to come up with some of the building plans that have not been seen anywhere else in the world. For example Salma (2010) says that there is a plan to build a museum of the Middle East Modern Art that will be located in Dubai. There is also an attempt to come up with a building that has been described as the Rotating Tower in Motion that has been designed by David Fisher. Other futuristic plans of modern architecture in the UAE include the Saadiyat Island that was commissioned in 2007. Salma (2010) argues that Saadiyat Island is a giant perforated dome covering a series of galleries designed to look like an ancient city with a series of pods stretching out over the sea.
Conclusion
UAE is a country that hardly experiences rainy seasons. However, with the use of her natural resource, the oil, she has managed to transform her economy through her creativity in designing of buildings and other infrastructure. With the government assistance the local and international architects have been credited with this kind of transformation that has made even some of the world’s developed countries emulate her.
Reference List
Freiberger, M. (2007). Perfect buildings: the maths of modern architecture. Web.
Oxford Business Group. The Report: Ajman 2008. Dubai. Oxford Business Group.
Salma, S.D. (2010). The architecture of the United Arab Emirates. Bloomington: Garnet.
Shane, C. (2011). Frommer’s Dubai. West Sussex: Wiley Publishing, Inc.