Bait Mohammed Bin Khalifa, the Challenging Consolidation of an Emirati “Transition Period” Building

Built in 1958 in Al Ain, the house of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa is a significant building in the context of the UAE’s recent history, as it represents tangible evidence of a period of economic, social and cultural transition between the pre-oil and post-oil eras. A conservation project was initiated in 2013 by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, which envisioned reinstating the site as a cultural and social hub for the Al Ain community, commemorating the memory of the late Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa who was a significant local figure as well as celebrating the house as one of the few surviving examples of a “transitional” architectural style where traditional and modern building materials, techniques and design were experimented with. The conservation of the building aimed to strike a balance between preserving the tangible and intangible significant values of the house while adapting the site to create a vibrant community center. The project was completed in 2021. The following article will present the character-defining construction characteristics of this mid-20th century architectural heritage, the building’s pathologies as a result of the experimental use and hybridisation of materials and techniques characteristic of the ‘transitional style’. Finally, the article will also present the repair and reinforcement strategies and techniques implemented to preserve a tangible testimony to the complexity of this historical period.