Modern Heritage and the Living City: Arab Identity and Modernization in the Architecture of Abu Dhabi

Abstract Our work analyzes some key public, late modernist and contemporary buildings in Abu Dhabi in order to examine how the capital of this Arab country has dealt with issues of local tradition versus modernization, at a time of rapid economic and social change. Modernist and contemporary interpretations of Arab architectural tradition are deliberated as well as, design strategies to create spaces of social inclusion and provide sustainable solutions appropriate for the harsh regional climatic conditions. Our article also argues that recognition and integration of buildings from the late modernist era, such as the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, are essential elements for a city of sparse historical references, playing the role of “modern heritage”. Preservation of such buildings and resilient architecture can guide contemporary architectural discourse and reconcile local tradition and modern design strategies, thus counteracting uncritical importation of iconic projects in the modern Gulf cities.