The displacement of local architectural heritage by imported design since Qatar’s rapid transformation from largely nomadic to vastly prosperous saw public life moved indoors, with exterior spaces unbearable in the heat. The world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration initiative, Msheireb Downtown Doha sought a contemporary approach to Qatari urban design, rooted in traditional Qatari living. Burton Studio provided landscaping, signage, lighting, and water feature design, and helped devise shading solutions for the main square. Granite paving echoing the colour of the earth beneath organises the project with a singular material. Water features are interpreted as a series of wells and agricultural runnels: the gravity-driven flow minimises evaporation and offers passive cooling. Precise coordination was required with the subterranean structures of the vast transportation network beneath. Signage is ubiquitous but subtle, embedded into site/building features and varied as if having emerged over time. On-site nurseries were established to provide low-water-use native plants.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture