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The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage announced the completion of the first phase of its urgent building restoration programme, which aims to preserve the architectural heritage of the Emirate.
The programme saw the restoration of a large number of historic buildings which were originally built with mud or stone. These can be principally found in Al Ain City and have required extensive restoration to protect them from the inevitable damage and collapse that has resulted from the passage of time and environmental factors. The restoration process includes work to the walls, roofs and windows of these buildings.
ADACH continues to focus its efforts on the restoration of historic buildings in the city of Al Ain. This aim forms an important part of its strategy to preserve the physical heritage of Abu Dhabi.
The maintenance of historic buildings generally requires that a long and comprehensive study be carried out initially, but ADACH carried out only its first preliminary studies as this allowed it to considerably speed up the process of conducting the necessary restoration work. This was because of the urgent nature of the work that some of these buildings required. At the same time ADACH has ensured that it has maintained the international standards set for such projects.
ADACH has adopted the habit of setting out all its priorities within its work timetable when carrying out heritage conservation projects. The timetable details all the tasks, labour and materials.
Through this methodical documentation of tasks it was clear that three supervisors, and four to five teams of technicians would be necessary to assess the urgency of the tasks, and look at the levels of work required for each site.
The conservation measures ranged from simple methods of protection, such as setting up fences, strengthening walls, and installing temporary roofs; to more technical procedures such as reforming clay bricks and cracks, and monitoring structural stability.
All of these measures have been documented in a way that would make it easier to follow up and check the stages of progress for each task before completion.
With the end of the first phase, more than 140 tasks in more than twenty-five historically important sites in the city of Al Ain were completed. This has ensured the short term safety and stability of the buildings, and prepared them for the next phase of restoration.
The Department of Conservation began the second stage of the restoration by diagnosing the short and long term levels of urgency of the work. The Department envisages that this work will be completed by the end of 2010.
ADACH launched an urgent building restoration program in 2008 to meet the pressing need to save these buildings. It assessed the damage and took immediate measures to temporarily protect them until more comprehensive conservation measures could be implemented in the future.
Among the important projects that have been carried out in Al Ain are the restorations of the House of Hamad bin Hadi Al Daramaki, the House of Abdullah bin Salem in Al Qattara Oasis, the house and brick garden wall of Khalfan Wasif Al Dhahiri, and the renovation of the Shaheel House. These all took place last June in Al Ain.
Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, the Cultural and Heritage Advisor at the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Director General of ADACH said that the Department of Conservation within ADACH is responsible for the research and preparation of development policies to ensure the protection of historic buildings. These policies must be developed in accordance with the highest international standards. They are responsible for the conservation and protection of tangible cultural heritage in Abu Dhabi, and this encompasses the preservation of buildings, including a number of sites and important conservation projects, with a particular focus on historic buildings.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sami Al Masri, Deputy Director General for Arts, Culture and Heritage at ADACH, said that an intensive program has been launched for the restoration of a group of historic buildings. These buildings required an immediate intervention, to ensure their safety and to avoid further deterioration. Work methods had already been developed, and conservation and protection procedures have now commenced for the initial consolidation of their structures.
Masri added that the preservation of heritage buildings is achieved not just through adding new elements like roofs, doors and windows to restore their original image, but also through taking into account the historical value of the structure, and preserving its nature. Thus the main aim is to keep the buildings standing safely without changing their character, while maintaining the international standards that will protect Abu Dhabi’s heritage.
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