Heart of Dohaland project launched

As the country embarks upon a new decade, Qatar’s single-most significant urban renewal project, the Musheireb, was inaugurated yesterday.

Officially launched with the groundbreaking ceremony by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday, the six-year-long project in five phases foresees a vibrant and thriving development with people and communities at its heart.

Originally presented as the ‘Heart of Doha’ by the developer, Dohaland, the 35-hectare area was renamed yesterday by HH the Emir as ‘Musheireb’ (Arabic: Place where one can draw water from).

Held at Doha Corniche, the ceremony also witnessed HH Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad, Dohaland’s chairperson, reviving an age-old Qatari tradition by leaving her handprint on the cornerstone of the Musheireb project.

“Our past clearly reflected that communities in Qatar have always been close-knit. People lived and worked together in harmony with the climate, with the land and with each other. We had our own ways of dealing with our environment which was sustainable and human in scale, and thus, our architecture reflected the unity of our family’s identity,” she said in a pre-recorded presentation during the ceremony that among other things encompassed the nation’s desert, maritime, and architectural heritage.

The cornerstone is symbolic of a time when people inadvertently left their marks on the walls and surfaces of the houses they built with their own hands, thereby forging an actual physical connection with their dwelling, Dohaland officials said.

HH Sheikha Mozah also unveiled Dohaland’s floating Knowledge Enrichment Centre (see Page 24) amidst the presence of hundreds of dignitaries.

Chief executive officer Eng Issa al-Mohannadi said: “Skyscrapers and isolated living compounds are not the communities we aspire to. We therefore decided to work with our past, rediscover our traditions, and regenerate the communities we have lost in this globalised world.”

“The transformation into a globally-recognisable city will now begin with the construction starting at Phase 1A. Earlier, the company partnered with local, regional and global industry leaders and experts who were given the task of aligning the ethos of the past with the latest in environmentally-friendly technology to derive an architectural language that was both relevant and truly Qatari, officials maintained.

The model community will be complete with everything an ideal city can offer through its comfortable homes, friendly neighbourhoods, and Main Square.

“The project also emphasises the importance of family and social relationships between people and makes it possible through compact neighbourhoods, pedestrian friendly streets and shaded pathways, and major facilities and services such as schools and malls all within walking distance,” al-Mohannadi explained.

Construction will be in harmony with the climate, rather than against it by taking advantage of wind and sun to provide cooling and shade, in addition to use of solar energy.

“When you set foot here you will know that this is Qatar, an advanced country that is deeply connected to its roots, with its own identity and aesthetics,” al-Mohannadi added. Page 24

[Sidebar] “Knowledge Centre unveiled”

While responsible for changing the city’s landscape with the new Qatari architectural language, Dohaland yesterday gave the public an ingenious venue to share its research and design.

Moored at the Doha Corniche close to the Sheraton bend, the floating Knowledge Enrichment Centre will be a permanent hub for workshops and seminars. Page 24