Out with the old, come back as new? Qatar has found a way to keeping the old by reimagining and reinventing the country’s heritage.
If you’ve been in Qatar for a long time, you will notice the massive growth and development the country has experienced in recent years in preparation for the successful FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
However, some of the old Qatar can still be found, but completely reinvented. Some heritage sites, offices and other buildings have been thoughtfully repurposed into scenic cafés, restaurants celebrating Qatari cuisine, immersive hotels, creative hubs and more.
Ain Mohammed Heritage Village
Ain Mohammed is a village located 3.5 km north of Al Zubarah Archaeological Site. It sits directly opposite the new Al Zubarah Visitor Centre.
The village dates back to the nineteenth century and is believed to have been abandoned in the late twentieth century. It consists of 24 buildings, including two mosques and a fort. Due to the variety of building materials and styles used in the architecture, it appears that the area went through three different periods of construction.
The village has recently been consolidated in an effort to repurpose it as a site for heritage activities and traditional sports, among other programmes, and overnight stay options.
There are many public artworks in the vicinity of Ain Mohammed Heritage Village, including Shadows travelling on the sea of the day by Olafur Eliasson, SlugTurtle TemplEarth by Ernesto Neto, and Maqam I, Maqam II, Maqam III by Simone Fattal.
Arsan Café (formally Al Ruwais Old Police Station)
Arsan Café, the former Al Ruwais Old Police Station, is turning out to be an increasingly popular destination for visitors to Al Ruwais as well as the town’s residents.
Enlisted as a heritage site under Qatar Museums (QM), the beach café offers a respite for those who want to spend the weekend with friends and families.
Arsan opened in 2019 and its name is inspired by horses, meaning a bridle, which is a strap or rope that riders use to guide and control the horse.
Bayt Sharq Restaurant (Al Khulaifi Heritage House)
Located in Muglina Unit Park near Ras Bu Abboud, Al Khulaifi Heritage House was built around 1940 by the late Mubarak Al Khulaifi, near the palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani. It features a centralised courtyard with pathways leading to a central reception area (majlis). The design follows traditional Qatari vernacular architecture with elements featuring danchal beams, and it has been restored and repurposed into a restaurant, Bayt Sharq, featuring Qatari fusion cuisine in collaboration with the descendants of Al Khulaifi family.
Fire Station (formally Doha Fire Station)
Fire Station is a contemporary art space located on Onaiza Street and is committed to supporting artists, curators and the wider public through residencies and public programmes.
It includes extensive studios and workspaces, a woodshop, and a fabrication lab, alongside the Fire Station Cinema, Café 999, Cass Art (art supply shop) and gallery spaces housing local and international art exhibitions.
The Fire Station was originally built in 1982 and was the home of Qatar’s first civil defence authority until late 2012, operating as a working fire station. It was repurposed and renovated in 2014 as an ‘adaptive reuse project’ to host the Fire Station: Artist in Residence initiative.
The design and renovation of the building were entrusted to Qatari architect Ibrahim Al Jaidah who was commissioned to redesign the interior of the building to cater specifically to the needs of artists. QM was keen to preserve the original façade and many of its key features, thereby keeping much of the original integrity of the building intact. Al Jaidah actively preserved the original details of the building, such as its distinctive honeycomb façade and the tower, and in doing so helped to preserve a piece of Doha’s early-modern architecture. The annex and extended building were later additions to the original structure, and together with the plaza, they form the Fire Station complex.
Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City (formally 2006 Asian Games accommodation)
Part of Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, are buildings which currently house the Enaya Specialized Care Center, Daam Specialized Care Center, Qatar Metabolic Institute, Genetic and Metabolic Institute, Bayt Al Dhiyafa and other HMC facilities. This part of HMC used to be the 2006 Doha Asian Games Athletes Village and was the accommodation for the athletes who came to compete in the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar. The USD500 mn Asian Games Village had the capacity of housing at least 10,000 athletes and officials registered for accreditation.
The Ned Doha (formally the Ministry of Interior)
Located in the former building of the Ministry of Interior on Al Corniche Street is The Ned Doha. This is the third Ned hotel and members’ club, and its first location in the Middle East. The Ned was created in 2017 by Soho House Founder, Nick Jones. The company expanded in 2022 to include The Ned NoMad in New York and in 2023 with The Ned Doha.
This third Ned property is in the former site of the Ministry of Interior, set across five floors overlooking the Arabian Gulf and Doha’s famous skyline, as well as Al Bidda Park and the Amiri Diwan. There are 90 bedrooms and suites, seven public restaurants, a pool and club lounge, a health club with spa, salon, and fitness centre, and a 775 sq m event space.
While adaptations were implemented as necessary to fit its new use and 21st century requirements, key elements of the building’s identity were carefully maintained – such as the geometric façade and the original concrete waffle ceilings in the bedrooms.
And more…
As you explore Qatar, observe the buildings around you and the heritage they withhold. As the country has been reborn, aspects of its rich history still exists.
Author: Ola Diab
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