Qatar University holds public lecture in Architecture and Urbanism at Knowledge Enrichment Center

Dohaland's announced that it held a public lecture titled 'Faces - Places: Towards a Meaningful Architecture and Urbanism' at the company's Knowledge Enrichment Centre. The two lectures were delivered by Dohaland sponsored co-Chairs in architecture at Qatar Unvitersity on Wed from 6 pm to 8 pm. The event is part of the company's commitment to knowledge sharing.

Dohaland established the Chairs in Architecture to support QU in developing qualified architects who can own and further Dohaland's new architectural language, balancing environmental and cultural sustainability with the needs of a modern metropolis; thus ensuring architectural sustainability in Qatar's future development.

Wednesday's presentation consisted of two lectures presented by QU Head of Architecture and Urban Planning Prof. Ashraf Salama and Allies and Morrison architect Prof. Tim Makower, one of the main architects in Dohaland's Musheireb project. Prof. Salama's lecture titled 'The Receptacle and the Spectacle: Discourse on Architectural and Place Identity' addressed the evolving aesthetic and perceptions regarding the built environment, while Prof. Makower's 'Higgledy Piggledy. How to make Nice Places; Step One' surveyed the influences of geometry, human beings and nature on modern urban development.

Speaking about his lecture, Prof. Salama said: "This lecture offers a new positional interpretation of contemporary Arab architecture. It calls for a fresh look at the paradox of identity, tradition, and modernity by critically outlining a number of aspects related to the current status of architecture in selected Arab cities including Cairo, Doha, Dubai, and others. Through a reading of trends that emerged over the last decade, the lecture attempts to place such a reading in focus by discussing the concepts of globalization, post-globalization, Pan-Arabism, Mediterranean-ism and Middle Eastern-ism."

Prof. Makower said: "This lecture is in praise of long straight lines and meanders; of grids and lozenge-shaped spaces. It rejoices in the fact that in terms of the physical environment, Mankind and Nature are capable of speaking the same language, albeit in very different accents, even if most of the time they are not inclined to. My aim is to ask the question 'What makes a nice place?', the answer should be 'somewhere which is not just pleasant to be in but fills us with a sense of well-being'."

Tim Makower MA Cambridge University, RIBA, is a partner at Allies and Morrison, one of the UK's foremost practices in Architecture and Urban Design. He has had extensive experience in the UK and the GCC, including major projects both of urban design and architecture. He is the

architect of the Diwan Amiri Quarter, including the Qatar National Archives and the National Eid Ground as well as numerous residential projects in Doha.

Ashraf M Salama, M.Arch., PhD, is an architect, scholar and Professor of Architecture and Head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Qatar University. He is a recognized Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the Royal Society of the Arts. His appointment included serving as an International Jury member for United Nations Competition, UNESCO, and the International Union of Architects-UIA. His books on architectural pedagogy and design studio teaching practices are widely- acknowledged. He is chief editor of International Journal of Architectural Research at MIT, USA, and associate editor of Open House International Journal, UK.