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Design harmony
P&T's Co-directors William Yuen and James Abbott discuss the chaotic, iconic, pyrotechnicand the music of architecture.
What are the current styles prevalent in regional architecture?
WY: One of the more obvious trends in architecture is the development of complex or unconventional forms, which I see happening in Dubai faster than in any other city in the world. Buildings are starting to have twists, slanted or folded surfaces, free flowing curves and very large cantilever structures-building forms you saw very little of say 10 to15 years ago.
We seem to be moving into a period of iconic architecture, but to say something is ‘iconic', doesn't mean that it's good. In fact, some iconic structures are very bad looking. Iconic just means something that is easily recognisable. The fact is that some societies or rather developers demand that their buildings must stand out from their neighbours.
Architects therefore need to come up with different ideas to satisfy this need. In a city like Dubai, this can be a little chaotic when we are erecting hundreds of buildings all at the same time, there is no harmony.
Another trend is deconstructivism. This is an approach to building design which views architecture in bits and pieces and challenges the conventional notion of architectural orders. Two very good examples would be the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the Jewish Museum in Berlin. They are truly in a different category. Some think this style of architecture ignores all considerations for beauty and order and that deconstructivist architects are visionary philosophers.
Another more obvious trend is of course sustainable architecture, which is more than just dealing with stylistic matters. It can involve energy-efficient design, choice of materials, waste minimisation and a construction method such as prefabrication. These considerations have led to the development of distinctive architectural forms that are ecologically responsive.
JA: I agree, I'm not sure whether it's society that demands iconic structures as much as the developers that decide that iconic structures are what society wants. Architects do have the opportunity to lead and inspire and to make a visual statement, but at the same time it should be remembered that all buildings are the result of the collaboration between clients, developers and architects.
Until recently, all of P&Ts branches were located in Asia. Why the westward expansion?
JA: We started considering this market about 10 years ago as we gradually moved west from our bases in Hong Kong and China. We've worked throughout Asia, which led to some work in India, and coming to the Middle East was the next logical step. With the way the world is shrinking, the Middle East is not really that far for us. We're also looking at possible jobs in the former Soviet Union and even Mongolia-those are just some of the potential markets that we're currently exploring.
As an Asian company, do your structures have a discernible ‘Asian' feel or style to them?
JA: We don't try to be overtly Asian. We'd like to think that we have an international approach and also we strive to be timeless when we can. In many regards, we try to build buildings that will last the test of time and enhance the surrounding environment. A good example is Exchange Square in Hong Kong, which is 25 years old but has not dated. The exception is when we're working in very traditional settings and we're trying to be very contextual, we'll build something that corresponds to the surrounding context such as our Suzhou Sheraton hotel project in China.
What projects are P&T currently working on?
JA: The main project that we've been working on for the last three years is Dubai's City of Arabia, which is a 20 million ft² piece of land that we have masterplanned and are doing all the architectural work for phase one. It will include one of the largest malls in the world, 1400 low-rise residences, 10 kilometres of man-made waterway in an area called Wadi Walk and 34 high-rise towers-of which we're doing five. Also, one of the towers we're doing in City of Arabia, which everyone is excited about is called Time Residences, which revolves 360°.
We're also doing Tamweel's new headquarters building in Business Bay and we've done a large masterplan for Ajman Marina Free Zone, which will create a new high-end waterside residential district in a previously industrial area.
WY: For the same clients, we're designing the Ajman Corniche Residential Development on the seafront, which includes seven towers that are linked together in a wave-shaped plan.
We're also working on a number of projects in China. For developers looking for architects to build there, we are perfectly positioned to help because of our experience. We won two awards for a cultural complex in Shunde, southern China.
JA: It's also important to note, we don't just do commercial architecture. The group as a whole does the full range of projects including schools, universities, healthcare centres, retirement homes for the elderly, hospitals, museums and cultural buildings. Right now, everyone in Dubai wants to build real estate, but there is more to life than building state-of-the-art residences and offices. There will be a need to build more schools and hospitals. Part of the reason why we became architects is to contribute to the community. We take seriously our social responsibility.
Where do you get the inspiration for the structures you build? How do you keep your ideas fresh and innovative?
WY: I get inspiration from all things in life. Music, fashion, furniture and product design all inspire me. Travel too. It's important to experience other cultures and places and see how other people use space.
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