Architects and engineers study new ways to combine modernity with cultural heritage in the countries of the Near East. With the accelerated process of modernization, a key question arises: how can cultural identity be integrated unobtrusively into contemporary architectural projects? Changes in heritage and economic development push the megacities of the Near East to accept the future developments in the field of architecture. Through collaboration with historians, artists, and cultural experts, architects can ensure that future construction projects remain relevant and significant in the context of culture.
"What if in the future we do not have to worry about how healthy our buildings, spaces, and surrounding environment are? Wouldn’t this be an unsustainable future in which you would like to participate?" - proposes to think by Kohrein to engineers and architects. Striving for a balance between heritage and modern requirements, project developers pay attention to the incorporation of cultural identity into contemporary heritage developments, including traditional elements such as Islamic geometric motifs and mashrabiyas (traditional wooden latticework).
One of the prominent examples is the Masdar City in Abu-Dhabi, representing a sustainable heritage development where traditional wind towers are used for natural cooling, along with ecologically clean technologies. These projects demonstrate how heritage and innovation can harmoniously coexist.
To achieve a balance between traditions and contemporary requirements, project developers should involve the community, adhere to normative requirements, and combine historical elements with innovative design. Striving to preserve heritage, new structures can become future assets.
Maya Kohrein, a specialist in health design with a focus on healthcare, notes that the preservation of cultural heritage in architecture concerns not only aesthetics but also functionality and ecological adaptability.
Many outstanding projects in the Near East serve as examples of the integration of architectural heritage into contemporary designs, asserts Wederik Pareha, a senior architect at OBERMEYER Middle East GmbH. Among them are the towers of Al-Ain and Sheikh Tanu.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the main challenge in contemporary heritage architecture lies in preserving cultural heritage while meeting the requirements of modern infrastructure. It is necessary to strive for a balance between heritage and innovation to create a future where cultural heritage and contemporary design become interconnected elements.
