Location: Manama - Kingdom of Bahrain 

Client: Ministry of Commerce and Industry 

Consultants: Associated Consulting Engineers (ACE) in Association with ALP, UK

 

Project Description

 

The Government of Bahrain through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Directorate of Company Affairs, has commissioned in June 2003 Associated Consulting Engineers - ACE in association with The Adam Loxton Partnership - ALP, UK to undertake the "Enhancement of Manama Souk: Core Area". The overall aim of the project is to initiate and implement a major program of physical improvements in order to enhance and raise the profile of the Manama Suq Core area around Bab Al Bahrain Avenue.

This project was initiated in anticipation of a much larger scale study to revitalise the traditional Suq of Manama which the Government of Bahrain intends to embark upon in response to the rapidly developing commercial and retail construction sector in the Capital City.

The Client has identified three main objectives for the project which were summarized as follows:

• Demolition of existing buildings and the creation of a public square, with facilities such as coffee-shops and other related uses on Bab Al Bahrain Avenue.
• The incorporation of shade structures along the open space in the study area, to the junction with Sheikh Abdullah Avenue.
• Improvement to existing frontages along Bab Al Bahrain Avenue to the southern junction with Sheikh Abdullah Avenue.

However, several much more important strategic Goals can be defined for the study and the most important of these may be summarized as follows:

• Help "Re-brand" the Manama Suq into a significant and self sufficient Urban Center.
• Bring the Suq back to its prominence within the daily fabric of life in Bahrain.
• Re-interpret the Suq so as to create a vital self sustaining urban area with identifiable attractions.
• Promote the old image of the Suq as the embodiment of the Traditional Life in Bahrain.
• Help to create a vibrant community within a varied and enlivening built environment.
• Attempt to accommodate and mitigate the forces underlying the down-turn in trade witnessed by many of the merchants in the Suq area.

 

Consultancy Services

The study involves 3 formal stages as follows:

• Stage 1 providing a strategic overview of the proposed Core Area as whole, assessments of the development potential of the proposed site and preferred strategic planning options for it.
• Stage 2 involved the preparation of development and design proposals for the site as well as the formulation of proposals for the project region at large, taking into consideration prevailing conditions and commitments, namely the proposed development of the Financial Harbour to the North of Bab Al Bahrain.
• Stage 3 requires the development of detailed designs from the conceptual stage through to tendering, supervision of implementation and, ultimately handover to government agencies, authorities and services providers.