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Rehabiltation of Jahili Fort
Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
Architects
Roswag & Jankowski
Architekten
Berlin, Germany
Clients
Abu Dhabi Authority for
Culture and Heritage
Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates
Commission
2007
Design
2007
Construction
2007 - 2008
Occupancy
2008
Site
24573 m2
Ground floor
1,002 m2
Total floor
1002 m2
Costs
n.a.
Programme
The Jahili Fort was built at the
end of the nineteenth century
to protect the oasis at Al Ain,
now the second largest city
in Abu Dhabi. This project
has seen the restoration and
adaptive reuse of part of the
fort as an exhibition and visitor
centre. The aim has been to
respect the original structure
and strengthen its architecture.
Later accretions have been
removed. As far as possible,
the restoration has been carried
out using traditional techniques
and materials, and in many
instances existing materials
were reused, with historical
earth bricks and mortar soaked
in water and reformed, and
palm leaves treated for termites
and reinstalled.
Site plan highlighting the transformed parts of the Fort
10 m
Inner Elevation with the arcade openings and a new mud terrace, connecting the three wings of the building (photo: Torsten Seidel)
Rehabilitation of the Jahili Fort, Al Ain, UAE
2.2
2.3
1.2
2.3
3
Jahili Fort, situated in the quiet oasis city of Al Ain, is
one of the most relevant historic buildings in the UAE.
It‘s reconstruction was the first project completed by
the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) as a pilot project for the beginning rehabilitation
of Abu Dhabi‘s cultural heritage.
The Fort, once built to protect the Al Ain Oasis with its
precious water resources, was transformed into an exhibition and visitor centre. The permanent exhibition »Mubarak bin London: Wilfred Thesiger and the Freedom of
the Desert«, shows photos from Thesiger‘s exploration
trips through the »Empty Quarter« in the 1940s.
1.3
1.3
2.1
1.1
1930s
1930s
1980s
1930s
historic structure (1930s / 1940s) 1.1 historic floor level, 1.2 historic roof level, 1.3 historic building
transforming the 1980s structure 2.1 transformed floor level, 2.2 transformed roof level, 2.3 transformed building
2
1
The design concept aims to respect the existing building
structure and to strengthen the qualities of the traditional architecture. The floor planning and changes in
the north wing are going back to the footprint of the
buildings from the 1930‘s, which were connected by an
arcade in the late 1980‘s.
The transformation follows the traditional philosophy of
building by reusing natural material such as mud and
Groundplan 1:1000
(after the intervention)
palm trunks, leaves etc. The structure had to be chanInformation Centre
emporary Exhibition Hall
ged entirely while mud blocks and plaster, mostly from
Mubarak bin
Exhibition
1 London
Information
Centre
the early 20th century, could be remixed with water and
2 Temporary Exhibition Hall
then be reused.
3 Mubarak bin London Exhibition
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5,0 m
Jahili Fort, West Elevation with the „Buffer Zone“ | Arcades closed with wooden windows to define the conditioned
inner space (photos: Torsten Seidel)
Section / Elevation east and south (after the intervention)
Building Type Restoration & Adaptive Re-Use
2010 Award Cycle
3513.UAE
5,0 m
south
3513.UAE – 1
3513.UAE
For all-season use in the desert climate, where temperatures can rise up to 45° C, the arcades have been
closed with double glazed wooden windows.
The building is cooled down by a very comfortable and energy efficient radiation system, based on
chilled water pipes integrated into the walls. This
system uses the special humidity activity of mud
structure and render. The reduced need of fresh air is
supplied through pipes under ground, with air outlets
invisibly integrated into the exhibition furniture. Both,
radiation and reduced amount of air generate a very
comfortable building climate.
Through the reuse of historic materials like mud and
palm trunks, the consumption of energy and natural
resources could be reduced substantially during the
transformation process.
The permanent exhibition with Thesiger‘s photos
links the building with the Bedouin history of the
country. The visitor centre introduces the guests to
the rich heritage of Al Ain with a book shop and an
Arabic café.
Light objects are establishing relations between interior and exterior spaces (photos: Torsten Seidel)
Mubarak bin London Exhibition Entrance area, Exhibition room, outer arcade (photos: Torsten Seidel)
Historic and modern mud render, waxed historic mud floor, ceiling with palm trunks and leaves (photos: Architects)
1. costruction
2.6
1.1 sun filter glass, 1.2 themal insulation
1.2
2. building technology
2.1
1.1
2.3
45° C
22° C
temperation / cooling
2.1 wall cooling system, 2.2 central chilling unit
2.5
ventilation
2.2
2.4
2.3 supply air intake, 2.4 air handeling unit
2.5 fresh air oulet in furniture, 2.6 waste air
Cooling Scheme
extract behind picture
H.E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan visiting the café, bookshop and information centre (photos: Torsten Seidel)
Section / Elevation north and south (after the intervention)
north
5,0 m
south
3513.UAE – 2
3513.UAE
The transformation process
The „outer“ Fort is the first phase for the rehabilitation, followed soon by the Old Fort and
the Tower. In the 1980s the building configuration was changed. In the north wing an arcade
was added as a third building axis. The historic building configuration was investigated and the
historic footprint brought back into the new layout. All construction works have been done in
historic manner by hand through a mud artisan team, reusing the historic materials. The mud
finish was applied by hand in a very precise, straight way to give the historic fabric a modern
expression.
The building is cooled through a plaster integrated cold water pipe system, which uses the
special humidity activity of the mud structure and finish. The reduced need of fresh air is assured by under ground pipes, all air outlets are integrated invisibly into furniture and exhibition
layout. The radiation and the reduced amount of air generate a very comfortable building
climate.
existing open arcades before the rehabilitation (photos: Architects)
Insertion of a wooden beam in the entrance area | integration of palm roof construction after anti-termite treatment | artisans, all works have been done by hand (photos: Architects)
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5,0 m
5,0
m
Mud mortar and plaster were soaked and reused | all wooden parts had to be taken out, treated against termites and set in again | precise mud plaster before the cooling pipes were integrated | chilled air supply pipes under ground, cooling pipes on the wall (photos: Architects)
north
5,0 m
Section / Elevation north | south | east | south
(before the intervention)
south
Groundplan 1:1000 (before the intervention)
3513.UAE
Exhibition Concept:
»Mubarak bin London: Wilfred Thesiger and the Freedom of the Desert«
The »Mubarak bin London: Wilfred Thesiger and the Freedom of the Desert« exhibition is
integrated into the historic building parts, the arcade of the 1980‘s is used as a entrance
and circulation hall. Screen printed light objects with a selection of Thesiger‘s photos are
welcoming the guests, connecting the exhibition with the Forts courtyard and organizing
the exhibition into different sections.
The walls inside the exhibition are plastered with a white mud fine plaster, serving as neutral
background for the framed photos, developed on baryte paper. Four exhibition cambers
show pictures and text panels about Thesiger‘s early life, his trips with the Bedouins through
the Empty Quarter, the time he spent with Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his later life. A Video loop is presenting a interview with Wilfred Thesiger, an interactive screen
is showing the trips through the Empty Quarter and gives additional information about
Thesiger‘s experiences.
Exhibition, the projection shows interviews with Wilfred Thesiger | From the outer arcade the exhibition chambers in the historic building from the 1930s can be entered (photos: Torsten Seidel)
Exhibition concept
Light object, showing W. Thesiger (photos: Torsten Seidel
Wilfred Thesiger
The Empty Quarter (First and Second Crossing
Sheikh Zayed (Liwa, Inner Oman, Duru Country)
Video
(including interviews conducted for the BBC)
Jahili Fort Connection
(photograph, textpanel)
lighting object
Wilfred Thesiger
(Empty Quarter)
Early Life
(one textpanel
and photographs
of his early
journeys and
quotations)
The Empty Quarter
(photographs, quotations)
lighting object
The Empty Quarter
(Thesiger party)
lighting object
Abu Dhabi
(Thesiger party)
Sheikh Zayed Bin
Sultan Al Nahyan
(photographs, textpanel, quotations
e.g. Inner Oman,
Liwa)
lighting object
Comradeshipe
(Empty Quarter)
Thesiger‘s Retur
(photographs, tex
panel, quotation)
Comradeshipe
(photographs, quotations)
Later Life
(one textpanel,
lighting object
Sheikh Zayed
photographs of
his later journeys
e.g. Iraq, Asia,
Africa and quotation)
Mubarak bin London
Wilfred Thesiger and
the freedom of the
desert (titelpanel)
Entranceway of the exhibition | Inter active map in the hallway (photos: Torsten Seidel)
lighting object
The Empty Quarter
(Thesiger party)
Section south (Mubarak bin London Exhibition)
Detail of a framed photo | H.E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan visiting the exhibition | Exhibition chamber (photos: Torsten Seidel)
Thesiger‘s Travel
Equipment in Arabia
(photograph, textpanel,
showcase)
Mubarak bin London
Wilfred Thesiger and
the freedom of the
desert (texpanel)
The Empty Quarter
(including interactive map
from traverses by Thesiger
and two textpanel)
The Empty Quarter
(two photographs
including quotations)
lighting object
Sheikh Zayed
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