Building Arabia: Expanding the Limits of Architecture

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The extent of development in the Arabian Peninsula hasbeen phenomenal: this region now has some of the most advancedcontemporary architecture in the world. During thelast few years, in order to adjust to the imminent depletionof the natural resources that have provided the region'swealth for the past decades the countries on the southerncoast of the Persian Gulf have restructured their economies,which were based on the export of hydrocarbons, towards financeand tourism, but without forgetting their culturalroots. Tradition and modernity either stunningly contrast orbeautifully fuse in the architectural projects by the most importantarchitects and design studios. These projects are inspiredby Islamic architecture, incorporating Islamic decorativemotifs and age-old structural solutions for coping withthe extreme Arabian climate. The architectural plans alsoreinterpret the urban layouts of Arabian cities.