As part of the new National Museum of Qatar, planned by Atelier Jean Nouvel, the old ruler’s palace in Doha was renovated as ‘main exhibit’ by ZRS. The Old Palace in Doha is considered as one of the most valuable examples of traditional architecture of Qatar.
The Palace has a rich history with elements which can be traced back at least to three building phases between 1880 and 1972. After In the 11 buildings of the palace complex, material problems occurred after renovation measures in the 1970s, which led to damage and made a new restoration and rehabilitation necessary.The restoration works aimed to consolidate and restore the Palace in line with the international standards in monument conservation. Typical damages to the structure included the corrosion and spalling of concrete elements, termite induced damage to structural timber elements and decay of decorations and finishes due to rising damp and salinity. The works included significant underpinning of the historic foundations using a raft of micro-piles, conservation of the historic masonry fabric, replacement of badly carbonated concrete elements with new glass fibre reinforced trass-lime elements as well as the consolidation and in-situ repair of delicate carved gypsum ornaments.
The restored Old Palace ensemble sets a new standard for monument conservation both in Qatar and within the Gulf region by combining cutting-edge structural engineering solutions with a respectful approach to the conservation of traditional material and techniques.
Click here to read more about the palace and its appearance today.
