Traces of Change in the City of Doha and Mega Projects

Abstract

Doha, which is the capital of Qatar, a peninsula extending from Saudi Arabia to the Gulf of Basra, has entered the rapid urbanization process since the 1990s and has undergone changes and transformations at large scale in urban terms. In this process, Souq Waqif, the city's main backbone, has been rescued from its long-suffering ongoing neglect. Waqif has been re-planned with approaches to protect traditional character from social, cultural and technological perspectives. And it has been renovated under the urban transformation project. In the new process, new commercial structures have been needed. For this reason, the city's Downtown district has been opened to construction. And skyscrapers have been built in this area. The Katara Culture Village, where the interaction between the traditional and the modern world is exhibited, is one of the important points that people meet with the sea. In Msheireb Urban Regeneration practice, technology has also been effectively used in design, while traditional architecture has been effectively considered in design. In addition to these, iconic approaches are pre-arranged in National Museum and Islamic Art Museum which are important structures of Doha Corniche.

Keywords: Doha, Museum, Culture, Architecture.