Abu Dhabi’s symbolic birthplace undergoing preservation and restoration
The restoration team
preserving Abu Dhabi’s most significant historical structure has for the
first time revealed the essential nature of its ongoing work.
Qasr al Hosn, which
has stood since the mid-1700s as the symbolic birthplace of the emirate,
is undergoing a comprehensive project of conservation and restoration.
A team of historians
and architects and conservators are carefully removing parts of the
thick white gypsum and cement render that was applied to the walls of
the fort in the 1980s, revealing once again the original coral and sea
stone masonry used in traditional Emirati construction.
This work is essential
to prevent moisture from being trapped on the surface of the coral
stone, which currently lies beneath the modern white render. This
condensation has a corrosive and potentially harmful effect on the
historic fabric of the fort.
Soon, members of the
community and visitors to the UAE will be able to see this conservation
work up close. The courtyard areas of the palace and former inner fort
will be opened to visitors on guided tours at the annual Qasr al Hosn
Festival from February 20 to March 1, 2014.
Every year at the festival, visitors will be able to witness progress
on Abu Dhabi’s most important historical project. The festival is held
under the mandate of the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority
His Excellency Sheikh
Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism &
Culture Authority, said: “The principle approach at Qasr Al Hosn is to
strengthen the appreciation of Emirati heritage and identity. Qasr Al
Hosn is the centre piece of a new regional cultural quarter and is being
restored using international standards of conservation best practice
that are recognised for the management of World Heritage
assets.”
Expanding on the role
of TCA Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Sheikh Sultan added, “The project will
provide a different experience for every visitor, enabling each of them
to have their own personal relationship with Qasr Al Hosn and to gain an
understanding of the values and identity of Emirati heritage.”
Mark Powell Kyffin,
Head of Architecture, TCA Abu Dhabi has been leading the project since
its inception and is intimately familiar with the architectural history
of the Qasr al Hosn site.
“The layers of modern
render that were added in the 1980s are suffocating the traditional
construction of the historic walls,” said Mr Kyffin.
“Air conditioning,
which was also introduced into the building in the 1980s, can cool the
building to 24c. The combination of this internal cooling and the high
ambient external temperatures causes condensation to be trapped within
the walls of the building on the surface of the coral stone.”
Qasr al Hosn began
life in the 18thcentury as a coral and seastone watchtower built by the
Bani Yas tribes on Abu Dhabi to command coastal trade routes and to
protect the settlement that had grown around the water sources they
discovered on the island.
Successive generations
of the ruling Al Nahyan family added walls, towers, decorative
entrances and residential quarters to create their ancestral home,
transforming it first into an imposing fort, then into an iconic palace.
Peter Sheehan, Head of
Historic Buildings, TCA Abu Dhabi has been working on the project from
the outset, when he carried out the initial archaeological
investigations aimed at understanding the construction sequence of the
fort and informing the current conservation works.
“It’s a methodical
process and we’re working as carefully as we possibly can,” he said.
“Our job is to ensure that this building is conserved to the highest
possible standards, so that both present and future generations can
appreciate the evolution of the fort and its historical and cultural
significance.
At each stage of
expansion throughout the 18thand 19thcenturies, builders used coral and
sea stone gathered from the ocean bed and local reefs. These stones were
set in place using mortar made from ground coral and crushed sea
shells. Under the conservation project this traditional form of
stonework is once again being exposed to view.
One of the most
ingenious aspects of the structure is its traditional ‘Barjeel’
ventilation system – effectively an ancient form of air conditioning.
Recessed arches built into the exterior walls would direct the
prevailing sea breezes into the interior rooms via a network of narrow
airways. A key part of the conservation and restoration works is to
demonstrate the system to visitors so that they can appreciate this
intelligent form of local construction.
The age of the fort
and its importance to Abu Dhabi’s history means the conservation team
has to take every care to avoid any damage to the authentic fabric of
the original structure. This is especially true for the restoration of
the early watchtower, which Mr Sheehan describes as the biggest
challenge for the architects and conservators due to the survival of so
much of its original stonework.
UAE residents and
visitors to the country will be able to witness the conservation teams
carrying out their delicate work during the Qasr al Hosn Festival, a
10-day programme that celebrates the iconic building and many centuries
of tangible and intangible Emirati culture and tradition.
For more information on Qasr al Hosn and the Qasr al Hosn Festival, please visit www.qasralhosnfestival.ae
