Reframing Cultural Landmarks: A Local Approach to Architecture in the Middle EastSave this picture!History of Science Centre / Hoehler + alSalmy. Image Osama Al KharusiA previous exploration of cultural landmarks in the Middle East designed by international architects highlighted recurring themes such as architecture as an extension of the landscape, climate-responsive design, and abstraction of traditional forms. These projects often introduced high-tech environmental solutions, used monumental forms to reinterpret local identity, or positioned themselves as landmarks within the broader urban or desert landscape. While these approaches have defined many of the region's most recognizable cultural institutions, they represent just one side of the architectural discourse. An equally significant yet distinct trajectory emerges from local architects, who work within existing structures, historical contexts, and lived environments to create institutions that feel deeply embedded in their surroundings. This approach prioritizes continuity, transformation, and accessibility, ensuring that architecture remains an evolving part of the cultural fabric rather than a self-contained object.Save this picture!Three overarching themes emerge from this local perspective: Architecture as Cultural Continuity, Adaptive Reuse and Site-Specific Transformation, and Public Engagement through Open Cultural Spaces. Some projects emphasize historical continuity, such as Bait Mohammed Bin Khalifa, which preserves a rare example of pre-oil modernism, or the Mleiha Archaeological Centre in the UAE, which integrates archaeological heritage into contemporary cultural programming. Others, like the Diriyah Biennale Foundation in Saudi Arabia and the Royal Academy for Nature Conservation in Jordan, demonstrate how industrial remnants and quarries can be repurposed, rather than erased, to create meaningful cultural spaces. Meanwhile, institutions like the House for Architectural Heritage in Bahrain and the Shamalat Cultural Center in Saudi Arabia challenge the traditional boundaries between cultural institutions and public life, opening their spaces to street-level engagement. These projects illustrate how local architects are shaping cultural landmarks that are deeply connected to their historical, social, and environmental contexts, ensuring that architecture remains a dynamic force for continuity and collective experience in the Middle East.Read on to explore how local architects in the Middle East are shaping cultural landmarks through themes of continuity, adaptation, and public engagement. Related Article Global Architects, Local Contexts: Navigating Identity in the Gulfs Cultural Landmarks Architecture as Cultural ContinuityArchitecture as cultural continuity reflects a design approach that preserves, adapts, and extends historical narratives rather than replacing them with entirely new forms. Unlike international projects that often abstract local traditions into sculptural gestures, these projects engage with historical structures, material heritage, and spatial traditions in a more direct and tangible way. Whether through adaptive restoration or carefully contextualized new construction, these projects maintain a connection to historical identities while ensuring their relevance in contemporary life. By working within the fabric of existing cultural and social landscapes, these interventions allow architecture to serve as an active guardian of memory, reinforcing continuity rather than distruption.Save this picture!Several projects illustrate this approach, each engaging with different moments in history. The Bait Mohammed Bin Khalifa in Al Ain stands as a rare surviving example of pre-oil modernism, a period when traditional forms first intersected with modern materials. Rather than restoring it to an idealized past, X Architects adapted it as a cultural center, preserving both its architectural character and its function as a community gathering space. Similarly, the Mleiha Archaeological Centre by Dabbagh Architects in Sharjah does not only house historical artifacts, but actively integrates them into the architectural experience, centering the entire visitor journey around a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age tomb. The project's radial plan and locally sourced sandstone construction root it in the site's deep history, ensuring the continuity of its archaeological and environmental significance.Save this picture!Elsewhere, projects extend institutional and urban heritage into contemporary cultural spaces. The Nuhad Es-Said Pavilion for Culture by Raed Abillama Architects expands the National Museum of Beirut, reinforcing its role as a cultural and archival institution while introducing a flexible exhibition hall that responds to contemporary needs. Similarly, the History of Science Centre in Oman establishes a direct link between Islamic scientific heritage and contemporary academic research, using geometric patterns derived from historic architecture to reinforce a sense of cultural and intellectual continuity. Finally, the House for Architectural Heritage, designed by Noura Al Sayeh and Leopold Banchini, takes a different approach by preserving the "found" condition of an urban site in Bahrain, freezing it as a snapshot of the city's evolving architectural landscape. By adapting existing conditions rather than erasing them, these projects highlight an ongoing dialogue between past and present, ensuring that architecture remains a living, evolving expression of cultural identity.Save this picture!Save this picture! Adaptive Reuse and Site-Specific TransformationIn contrast to large-scale demolitions and new constructions that redefine entire urban landscapes, adaptive reuse and site-specific transformation focus on working within the existing built and natural environment to create meaningful cultural spaces. These projects treat historical or industrial remnants as valuable layers that can be integrated into contemporary life. By preserving key architectural and material elements while introducing new spatial and programmatic functions, adaptive reuse projects offer sustainable, contextually aware solutions that retain the memory and identity of a place.Save this picture!Several projects illustrate this principle by reinterpreting existing structures rather than replacing them. The Diriyah Biennale Foundation, designed by BRICKLAB, repurposes eight decommissioned warehouses in Riyadh's JAX creative district, maintaining their industrial aesthetic while inserting cultural programming, exhibition spaces, and public gathering areas. This approach preserves the site's original character and aims to create a cohesive artistic ecosystem, reinforcing Diriyah's evolving role as a cultural hub. Similarly, the Shamalat Cultural Center in Diriyah, designed by Syn Architects, adapts a traditional mud house, blending selective restoration with contemporary materials to create an intimate space for artistic production and community engagement. Rather than sanitizing or reconstructing these sites, both projects embrace their imperfections, allowing past narratives to coexist with new functions.Save this picture!Other projects engage directly with landscape transformations, treating sites shaped by past industrial or environmental interventions as integral to new architectural identities. The Royal Academy for Nature Conservation by Khammash Architects in Jordan, for example, is built within an abandoned quarry, using the existing bulldozed rock formations as both a foundation and a defining feature of the project. Instead of concealing the site's history, the architecture amplifies it, integrating the quarry's lines into the building's elevation and circulation. This approach reduces environmental disruption, while repositioning the site's history as an asset rather than a flaw. These projects demonstrate how adaptive reuse and site-specific transformation create cultural institutions that are both forward-thinking and deeply rooted in their context, ensuring that built heritage and landscape histories remain visible, relevant, and accessible to contemporary audiences.Save this picture! Public Engagement and Open Cultural SpacesA defining characteristic of many locally designed cultural projects in the Middle East is their emphasis on public engagement and accessibility. These spaces are designed to invite participation, interaction, and social exchange, often blurring the boundaries between private and public. This approach recognizes that cultural institutions are platforms for community gathering and knowledge exchange. By prioritizing spatial openness, permeability, and integration with urban life, these projects ensure that culture remains an active, evolving part of the public realm rather than being confined to exclusive, enclosed spaces.Save this picture!Several projects illustrate this approach through architectural strategies that encourage public access and interaction. The House for Architectural Heritage, designed by Noura Al Sayeh and Leopold Banchini, transforms into an open passageway when its large sliding doors lift to connect the exhibition space directly with the street. This design decision reflects an intent to democratize cultural participation, allowing passersby to engage with exhibitions without barriers. Similarly, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation by BRICKLAB organizes its spaces around an open-air central plaza, using exterior walkways and ramps to bring together various exhibition halls and public areas. This creates a fluid, non-hierarchical experience, reinforcing the idea that culture should be accessible, immersive, and embedded within the urban fabric.Save this picture!Other projects achieve public engagement through sequential spatial experiences that heighten awareness of place. The Desert X AlUla 2024 Visitor Centre by KWY.studio is designed as a processional journey, where visitors move through a compressed entrance, an open-air courtyard, and a final terrace overlooking the desert landscape. This structured movement aims to create a dynamic relationship between visitors, space, and the environment, emphasizing a deeper connection with AlUla's natural and cultural setting. Similarly, the Shamalat Cultural Center in Diriyah reimagines a traditional mud house as a contemporary gathering space, focusing on storytelling, artistic exchange, and creative production. These projects demonstrate that architecture for cultural engagement is about designing experiences that invite curiosity, participation, and interaction, ensuring that cultural institutions remain vibrant, open spaces that serve their communities.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorNour FakharanyAuthorCite: Nour Fakharany. "Reframing Cultural Landmarks: A Local Approach to Architecture in the Middle East" 19 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1028123/reframing-cultural-landmarks-a-local-approach-to-architecture-in-the-middle-east&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream