Building Tall in the Arabian Gulf: Perception / Performance / Place-making

To gain a better understanding of the impacts of tall buildings in the Arabian Gulf, the researchers consider urban growth in three Gulf cities (Dubai, Kuwait City, and Doha) from the early 1970s until the present. This paper encompasses two main parts: the first part outlines and explores master plans for each city with the aim to delineate policy and strategies for tall buildings, while the second part reviews work on several case studies from each city, with a goal to critically examine aspects pertaining to perception, performance, and place-making.

This paper surveys the phenomenon of building tall, then tackles the specific, unique, and compelling context, culture, and circumstances of designing and delivering towers in the Arabian Gulf. A key outcome is a framework for building tall in Gulf cities to help designers + developers and policymakers + politicians to reconsider a more viable, responsible, and successful path for these soaring, momentous, intensive and iconic skyscrapers.

keywords: Architecture, Tall Building, Framework, Performance, Place-Making