Sheikh Saeed al-Maktoum House (now used as a museum)

Notes

This project is the reconstruction of a ruined house (originally built in 1896) into a museum. The house takes up 1975m² as built up area from the original 3050m² site. It is composed of two levels surrounding a central courtyard. Access to the house is provided through two entrances, the main one being on the South. The external façades are lined with arched niches and recesses as well as smaller openings to provide ventilation to the inside. Ventilation is also maintained through four windtowers that can be closed with window shutters when needed. Most of the rooms open to the courtyard and are shaded by verandas.
Restoration paid special attention to the initial existing building and it included the separation of the coral-stone walls from the reinforced concrete raft foundations, floors and structural frame. Local techniques were used to bring back the walls to their original state by hand-applying soft finish plaster which is made from local sand, lime and cement. The project was submitted to the Aga Khan Award for Islamic Architecture 1995 cycle. 

Sources

World Architecture A Critical Mosaic, Middle East, Vol. 5, pp. 28-29

The Architecture of The United Arab Emirates, Salma Samar Damluji, p. 27, 58

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