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Msheireb makes effort to restore and preserve historic buildings

Msheireb Properties is making efforts to restore and conserve four historic buildings on its QR20bn site, spread across 31-hectares of Msheireb Downtown Doha project.

The team, headed by leading architects and local and international experts, is working to monitor the restoration and preservation of the properties from the first decade of the last century.

Among the four houses that will be restored and converted into museums are the Company House, Jalmoud House, Al Radwani House and Mohamed Bin Jassim House. Further, a fifth heritage house is being dismantled for re-construction at another location within the Heritage Quarter. It will be a landmark project for the development, which also complements and links the new downtown with Souk Wakif, one of the oldest souks in Doha.

The CEO of Msheireb Properties, Issa M al-Mohannadi, said that the restoration of the houses will help in conserving some of the last remaining traditional and historic buildings in the city centre.

The Msheireb Downtown Doha project aims to revive the old commercial heart of the city, through new architectural techniques based on community living.

Construction on the project began 18 months ago at the mixed-use development located next to Emiri Diwan. Located in Central Doha, the Msheireb project is surrounded by Al Rayyan road to the north, Msheireb street to the south, Jassim bin Mohamed street on the east and Al Diwan Street on the west. The first phase of the project includes the Emiri Diwan Quarter, comprising the Emiri Guard building, Diwan Annex, the Qatar National Archive and Four Heritage houses.

With more than 100 buildings, a combination of commercial, residential, retail and entertainment properties, the project will blend Qatari heritage with modern technology, while also focussing on sustainability and harmony of the environment.

The highlight of the project is the 30 standalone villas, open to both nationals and expatriates. The project is aiming for Gold rating under the LEED certification system. Currently, nearly 5000 workers are working round-the-clock on the project, and the worker numbers will grow to 20,000 within a year.

The first phase of the project will be ready towards end of 2012, and the last phase will be ready by 2016.

Posted on 1/12/2011