Conservation and rehabilitation of the Old Palace of Doha

The development of the modern state of Qatar has been so rapid and comprehensive that it has left little space for the preservation of historic buildings. There is currently a growing awareness of the need to conserve and protect what is left of this built heritage. The Old Palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim, the father of modern Qatar, is one of the most important monuments in the country. The project for its conservation aims to set a new standard for the treatment of historic buildings and to catalyse a new movement towards architectural conservation both within Qatar and the wider Gulf region.

History

In 1880, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed ordered the construction of a new palace for his son Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim next to his own palace in Al Salata, east of central Doha. The complex was expanded with new houses and quarters for retainers added over the next decades. Sheikh Jassim wished to be located away from the Ottoman administrative centre near the current Amiri Diwan.

After the Ottoman withdrawal from Doha, a new and grand central majlis was commissioned by a renowned Bahraini architect in 1918. The design and scale of this majlis was to showcase the emir’s new position of dignity. Around 1923 the emir and his household relocated to the Amiri Diwan in central Doha and by the 1950s the complex was completely abandoned.

When Sheikh Khalifa bin Abdullah assumed power in 1972, one of his first acts was to commission the National Museum of Qatar. The palace was restored using the best techniques available at the time and complimented by a new museum building. The project won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1980.

Now the Old Palace is to be restored to once more become the focal point of the new National Museum of Qatar designed by Atelier Jean Nouvel. The Berlin-based company Ziegert | Roswag | Seiler Architekten Ingenieure was approached to conduct the restoration to the highest standards in monument conservation using international expertise and appropriate technologies.

Restoration aims and philosophy

The palace will be restored in its original fabric without the use of air conditioning, to create a living gallery exhibiting a way of Qatari life that has almost been lost amid the rapid expansion of the last forty to fifty years.

As the building has been restored, complemented and refurbished numerous times since its construction, all these time layers are valuable in the telling of its rich history.

Its building elements are almost unique in their historical significance and the 1970s additions are also important examples of Qatari craft and skill that must be preserved and exhibited. New elements will also contribute to the living narrative of this project. They will be implemented where structurally necessary or where 1970’s concrete or cement materials are damaging the delicate historic structure. At the time of the 1970s restoration these materials were the most appropriate for use in such a project, now with our enhanced knowledge it is clear that they are causing major problems for the historic structure. These include rising humidity and salinity in the walls, also the cement is much more rigid than the softer earth and lime building materials used traditionally and has caused uneven loading.

With this knowledge a series of ‘conservation guidelines’ were drawn up, in which the original historic material from the 1920’s building phase will be preserved at all costs. Decorative and constructive elements from the 1970s will be preserved as far as possible. Elements that no longer have a structural function and can be kept will be repaired appropriately, while elements that cannot be repaired or are inappropriately constructed will be replaced accordingly.

Knowledge transfer

The project will be conducted as a contemporary restoration, not a reconstruction. For a restoration, knowledge of the historic building techniques and material are required, the aim being to strengthen and develop the local building traditions through the restoration process.

Conducting the restoration are Ziegert | Roswag | Seiler Architekten Ingenieure, an integrated office of twenty-five architects and engineers. The office focuses on the development of sustainable building solutions using natural building materials. Their projects range from earth and timber houses and a timber plus-energy workshop building in Berlin, through earth and bamboo schools in Asia and Africa, to the conservation of historic monuments on the Arabian Peninsula. The office has already completed successful projects in Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), Amam (Jordan) and Herat (Afghanistan) (www.zrs-berlin.de).

A team of local artisans will be trained over the course of the project in cooperation with conservation and traditional building experts. The palace will be restored in a historically faithful fashion while ensuring the skills taught remain in Qatar. The training programme began during the Emergency Conservation phase and will be complemented by several other specialist workshops including wood treatment, restoration of ornaments and painted ceilings and treatment of historic plaster surfaces. All works are being closely supervised by specialists on-site and conducted in close collaboration with Qatar Museums Authority (QMA).

Work stages

During an initial visit to the site a fact-finding mission was undertaken to assess the situation and scope of work required. Regular workshops with QMA were held both in Berlin and Doha throughout the investigation and design phases.

Subsequently a detailed investigation of all buildings was carried out. This involved the making of ‘findings’ in order to ascertain where the different building phases come together. Specialized experts in wood, conservation and material supplemented the on-site investigation team.

This was followed by the design phase, where all the information from the investigation was used to produce a comprehensive and detailed individual design for each building. The input from other experts was used to produce a fully informed strategy.

Emergency conservation

From the outset it was clear that some parts of the palace were in a critical condition. Groundworks for the new National Museum site had already begun, including heavy draining of the ground and strong vibrations due to rock excavation using heavy machinery. It was clear that immediate action had to be taken to protect the buildings from collapse.

This consisted of the propping or partial dismantling of elements in imminent danger. Major works were required to secure the central building of the complex, the inner majlis, which contains the most historic building elements. This included a new foundation system that transfers the building’s structural loads onto a grid supported by micropiles. The deterioration of 1970’s concrete elements involved dismantling the roof and arcades of the upper floor, and the staircase also required significant temporary structural measures to avoid collapse.

Main construction

During the main construction works, initially all elements that are beyond repair will be dismantled. Additionally all cement plaster, currently causing serious damage due to the ingression of humidity and salinity, has to be removed up to a certain height.

The second phase involves the rebuilding of these elements using appropriate materials. For example, stiff concrete ring beams damaged by carbonation and rusting reinforcement will be replaced with new trass lime elements reinforced with glass fibre. The trass and glass-fibre beams are more flexible and breathable, making them far more compatible with the historic building fabric. Additionally decorative elements and painted ceilings will have to be rehabilitated and all timber fittings, beams and lintels will be treated in situ against termites and other decay mechanisms. Finally, historically accurate plasters and mortars will be developed and applied and new trass lime floor slabs installed to provide stability.

Documentation

The documentation process is running in parallel to the on-site works and forms an integral part of the project. All site activities, findings, recovered samples and removed elements are being thoroughly and accurately documented. The final documentation will contain all the knowledge gathered throughout the course of the investigations as well as a record of the works themselves. It will aim to provide a kind of ‘road map’ to anyone working on the palace in the future.

Following all these principles, the Old Palace will be a fitting central exhibit for the new National Museum. Displaying and preserving built Qatari heritage, it will not only complete the modern building surrounding it, but also form the link between the past and the future of this fast-changing country.

(This article was first published in the June 2014 issue of UNESCO’s quarterly magazine World Heritage. For reading the full issue, please go to: http://whc.unesco.org/en/review/72. To subscribe to the magazine, please go to: http://publishing.unesco.org/periodicals.aspx?&change=E)