Al Sayeh . Banchini

The Bab al Bahrain pavilion . Manama

Noura Al Sayeh . Leopold Banchini (BUREAU A) . photos: © Eman Ali

The Bab al Bahrain pavilion is a temporary public project aiming to open a civil debate on the theme of public space. In addition to lectures, movie screenings, public interviews and workshops, the space is the venue for an exhibition displaying the final entries of the open idea competition for the future of Bab Al Bahrain. It also serves as an open forum for debate, addressing the role of public spaces in the Arab World and Bahrain in particular.

One of the few existing public spaces in Manama, the Bab al Bahrain square has been progressively turned into a roundabout almost only dedicated to car traffic. Still, due to its historical importance and its centrality within the island, it holds the potential to become a lively urban public square. Located at the entrance of the Suq it has the advantage of belonging to a tight urban structure which still benefits from a natural pedestrian network. Once located a stone’s throw away from the sea, it is today physically separated from it due to the land reclamation projects which have eaten the sea since the 1950s.
Considering the recent political events that have taken place across the region, the project seeks to question what a contemporary public space in the Arab World could look like. Climitized malls have now become the main meeting point for locals, leaving the narrow streets of the city center almost only occupied by foreign cheap labor. New developments around the country have encouraged urban sprawl and privileged cars over pedestrian movements, abandoning most public space to private owner or private transportation means. Last year’s protests gathering on the Pearl Roundabout, a motorway crossing on the outskirt of the city, where only one example of these changes.

Built for a couple weeks only, the Bab Al Bahrain pavilion seek to reinstate a strong sense of place and redefine the square as a representative space within Bahrain. The pavilion temporary transforms the central square into a new common space, acting as a 1 to 1 mock-up to open the debate about the future of the place. The light translucent shading fabric covering the entire area modifies the user’s perception of the now enclosed space and changes its climatic conditions. Using silver reflective thermal screen, a low-tech technology used for green houses, and the existing fountain evaporation process, it creates a welcoming microclimate. Under the fabric, the traffic is heavily reduced, allowing the public to reclaim the streets and gather for all sorts of activities. Large tables, built in a local workshop, are the only urban furniture added to the existing square. They accommodate competition results and architectural models as well as debate, picnics, games and informal meetings.
_