DESIGN COMPETITION TO HIGHLIGHT BAHRAINI ARCHITECTURE

MANAMA, Oct. 31 (ALAYAM) - Dr Abdul Rahman Janahi, Chairman of Civil and

Architecture Department, pointed out that the idea of the design competition sprung from the need to regain the identity of the Bahraini architecture. Regaining our identity is not an easy task since a lot of changes have occurred in the building construction techniques, material, and equipment. The solution is not to revert back to old building techniques but to formulate some kind of blend between modernity and traditional designs. This blend is usually created by consulting offices but in Bahrain and elsewhere in the world consulting offices do not have time to create designs which originate from our tradition. That is why we see all these new non-homogeneous designs which are not related whatsoever to us,' said Dr Janahi in an exclusive interview with the Tribune.

He added that the competition is a platform for architects in Bahrain and all those interested with Bahraini architecture to spend some time thinking,

deciding and then implementing designs which will help in providing solutions for the problem.' Participants have come from different parts of the world such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Jordan, Greece, Italy, the United States and Sudan. Dr Janahi explained that the competition was open for two categories of professionals, individuals or companies, and students. 'In the students category we have had 19 participants while in the professional category we have had 25. One reason why we had these two categories is to achieve equal basis. We want our students at the University of Bahrain and in the rest of the Arab World to have confidence in putting down their ideas. We don't expect miracles but we want them to have confidence. Interacting with professionals will give them a boost and enhance their skills. This competition has been particularly fruitful in the boosting of the skills of our students.'

Dr Janahi said the competition had received great support from Bahrain and

abroad. 'The problem of architecture in the area is not something hidden. The Ministry of Housing, Municipalities and Environment headed by Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa was one of the strong supporters of this competition. 'Shaikh Khalid was very enthusiastic from the beginning, because we are dealing with a critical issue. The University of Bahrain president, Dr. Mohammed bin Jassim Al Ghatam, also extended great support to the event, because he feels that it will benefiting both our professors and students. 'We received tremendous response in support of the competition from abroad. We cannot claim to solve the problem of architecture in the area and the world. But it is an initial step to let the people think and see that their is a problem. This is the first step towards solution. We do

hope that such initiatives are taken up by people elsewhere who will try to

build on what we achieve,' said Dr Janahi. 'Evaluation is one of the most critical points in any competition, so we took a lot of effort to bring some of the best known names in the world of architecture to be members of our jury panel. They are Prof Marco Frascari, Chairman of the Ph.D Program at the Architecture University of Pennsylvania, USA, Prof Mohammed Makkiya from England, Dr. Suha Ozkan, Secretary General of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Geneva, Prof. James Steele, from the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California and Prof. Khalid Al Asfoor, from King Faisal University. 'We intended to have such a jury to provide neutrality. The jury has began its evaluation on Sunday an they will continue until Wednesday. They will choose three winners in each category,' said Dr Janahi.

Dr. Janahi emphasized that it is not the winning of the prize which was

important but the participation that is more crucial. 'Providing good ideas for individuals in our lovely country, to build on something strong and solid is our real goal. This competition has been done mainly for the people of Bahrain, especially average people who blend modernity with tradition, but at the same time cannot afford to employ consultants to supply them with designs. We would be glad to see some designs implemented by individuals in Bahrain,' said Dr. Janahi. He added that he was really impressed with the hard work put in by University of Bahrain students who, in addition to their normal academic studies, spent a lot of their time and effort to take part in the competition.

Dr Janahi regretted that only a few consulting offices in the country have taken part in the competition. 'Personally I am not satisfied with the participation of offices from Bahrain because only a few of them took part. I can understand that small offices couldn't spare one engineer for the competition but large offices have no excuse. I think it was a golden opportunity missed,' said Dr. Janahi.

Dr Janahi expressed great optimism that a lot of people will visit the

exhibition, especially couples who might acquire ideas from the displayed

designs for their future homes. He said that the designs created for the

competition will be published in a book after the competition.