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Bait Mohammed bin Khalifa

Al Ain, UAE

º£½ÇÊÓƵ was engaged by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to rehabilitate one of the historic homes of Abu Dhabi emirate’s ruling family and transform it into a vibrant cultural centre.

Located in Al Ain, the house was built in 1958, and served as the home of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1909–79), the father-in-law of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates.

º£½ÇÊÓƵ was engaged as the lead consultant to work on this multidisciplinary project, delivering a broad range of disciplines that will restore this historic home into a community centre.

The property was the home of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the father-in-law of the Founding Father of the UAE.

The site was of high integrity; however, it was in poor condition. Significant interventions were necessary to preserve its important features and rehabilitate it to serve the community of Al Ain.

Our structural engineering team developed innovative solutions to deliver strengthening works that could be integrated into the structure.

An innovative, non-intrusive method of extracting chlorides from the concrete was used, which involved spreading a chemically saturated paper-fibre coating over the concrete elements.

Challenge

The building stood at the entrance of Al Ain and was among the first landmarks to greet travellers to the city from Abu Dhabi. The house was built at the height of the Transition Period (ca. 1930s-1960s), when hybrid architectural styles evolved as a result of the economic impact of oil exploration and discovery.

As the elder of the Al Nahyan family, the late Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan was an influential figure associated with important events in the history of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. He was a central figure in Al Ain society and his house was at the heart of community gatherings. As an essential element to a culturally and historically rich neighbourhood, the house embodies the community’s sense of identity. Bait Mohammed bin Khalifa is a core component of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cultural Sites of Al Ain.

The property was one of the first buildings in the region to experiment with the use of concrete as a building material and the low-grade concrete used in the original build, including the use of local sand containing salts, which coupled with inexperienced workmanship and detailing, meant that significant remedial works would be required to ensure the stability and resilience of the structure for the coming years.

The building is composed of two blocks: one for receiving guests – the majlis building – and the family quarters. This is a two-storey structure built in reinforced concrete with liwans (hallways) along its perimeter, with stone masonry arches on the main facade. The first floor, which was largely demolished prior to the project and of which only the outer walls were still standing, was used as a majlis for important guests. The family quarters is a larger two-storey structure featuring full length balconies, triangular arches and reinforced concrete columns.

After many years of being unoccupied, the fabric of the property deteriorated considerably and required significant interventions to conserve it for future generations.

Solution

º£½ÇÊÓƵ was engaged as Lead Consultant to work on this multidisciplinary project, supported by architectural design firm X-architects and conservation consultants Donald Insall Associates and ARS Progetti, to deliver a broad range of disciplines including structural engineering and conservation, building services engineering (MEP), acoustics, lighting, ground engineering, transport and mobility planning, fire safety engineering and environmental consulting.

The opening of Bait Mohammed bin Khalifa follows an extensive conservation programme in which the historic home was repaired, restored and transformed into a community centre. The building has been adapted to include spaces for hire by the public, for workshops, performances, meetings and social gatherings, as well as a permanent exhibition, telling the historic story of Bait Mohammed bin Khalifa, including its restoration.

The project retained much of the existing building, and also added a new food and beverage and retail building, as well as reactivating the wider area. The archaeology of the old courtyard walls, which predate the property, were retained, protectively backfilled and partially displayed as part of the exhibits for visitors.

Our structural engineering team came up with a range of innovative solutions to deliver strengthening works that could be integrated into the structure. We used a range of materials to strengthen the historic fabric, including carbon fibre elements and the integration of a new steel frame embedded within the concrete. We also developed a mass concrete underpinning strategy to strengthen the existing foundations.

The salts in the sand used for the original concrete mix had corroded the steel reinforcement bars within. An innovative, non-intrusive method of extracting chlorides from the concrete was used. This involved spreading a chemically saturated paper-fibre coating over the concrete elements, which over several weeks drew-out the chlorides from the concrete via capillary action.

We also advised on the best ways to use traditional regional clay renders on the concrete surfaces. This involved numerous trial mixes for both the traditional renders and the substrate preparations.

To safeguard the various ornamental decorations, such as balustrades and decorative corbels and tiles, they were carefully salvaged, recorded and stored, prior to commencing the structural interventions and later re-attached in-line with traditional techniques used during the buildings original structure.

Our team followed through the project from initial design stages, all the way through to site supervision, commissioning and hand-over to the client.

The MEP strategy required an entirely new system and plant infrastructure to be planned and installed, with visitor comfort the key consideration. Our team of subject experts provided additional support to the design team around elements such as the internal acoustics of the visitor attraction, lighting, fire safety and transport planning.

Value

The project has transformed the property into a vibrant cultural community centre that commemorates the late Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and highlights the Transition Period as a pivotal era in the history of Al Ain and the UAE. The house provides visitors with an insight into the changing social, architectural and urban transformation of Al Ain during its transition to modernity.

Our broad multidisciplinary team of experts provided a range of key insights, strategies and technical designs to ensure the success of this ambitious transformation project.