Category: Architecture
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Photo: the new Amman, a city in upheaval
Click to enlarge. Read these related posts on 360east: A quick walk through downtown Amman Have you seen Digital City’s amazing glass facade? Amman’s snow hides the mess 🙂 Jabal Amman: the birth of a Ammani street market (and intelligent t-shirts!) Christmas in Bethlehem 2005: under the shadow of Israel’s wall
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Who is killing Amman’s oaks?
Every time we drive beyond Dabouq, towards Bader, Mahis and Fuhais, My wife and I get enraged. Because the direct answer to the question “who is killing Amman’s oaks?” is: rich west-Ammani villa builders! People who go and buy land in Amman’s most beautiful countryside hills, which are full of amazing oak trees, and then…
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Architects/Contractors: Help needed in building a stone wall!
Dear readers! I am working on a project, which will include 300 square meters of walls that need to be clad in the style shown in the photos above and below (this sample was built for me by someone but I am trying to get more offers). The stone will be supplied. What I need…
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Wakalat Street is the first in Amman to be WiFied
Cool news in Al-Ghad today. Al Wakalat Street, Jordan first pedestrian zone, is now also Jordan’s first municipal WiFi zone. Umniah is providing free wireless access in the street. I think I will pass by soon and test it out on my WiFi enable phone. Umniah, by the way, will be Jordan’s first Wimax provider.…
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The French will demolish the airport (let’s hope they fix it before that!)
Feast your eyes one more time upon this photo of the Queen Alia International Airport, before the French demolish it!! OK. OK. Don’t get too alarmed. You still have 2-3 years to feast your eyes. But then, seriously, this airport, which, for better or for worse, defined the Jordanian arrival (and departure) experience for over…
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Jordanian Facebook group to discuss Amman’s urban development
Facebook has obviously become a part of Jordanian’s daily lives. I haven’t blogged about the Jordanian Facebook phenomena yet but I can tell you that the age range of people I know on Facebook range between 12 and 60. Anyway, I recently got a comment on 360east from reader Ahmad Al-Sholi, who wants people to…
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Jordan’s weird capitalism: semi-finished malls and restaurants that miss the summer season
Why is it that everything we do in Jordan has to have the “Jordanian curse”? What’s the “Jordanian curse” you ask? It’s always some sort of imperfection that manages to creep into our work (and I am not exempting myself from this, by the way). You’d think that this is a “governmental phenomenon”. But it’s…
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Wakalat street at night: urban coexsistance
Place: Wakalat Street, Amman, Jordan Time: Sunday 22 July 2007. Today was the official opening day of Wakalat Street. I decided to pass by on my way back home from the office at around 10:30 pm. Thousands of people. Jordanians, Iraqis, Gulf nationals. Teenage boys and girls. Totally westernized clothes to pitch black niqabs. Families.…
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Rem Koolhaas in Amman talk today
Either I have been living on Mars for the past few days or this event is being totally under-promoted (actually I just discovered I have two overlooked email messages about this in my inbox!!). Apparently Rem Koolhaas is giving a talk at Al Hussein Cultural Center today. I just heard about it today (from a…
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Ammanis flock to Wakalat street to rediscover pedestrian life
Although Amman’s first contemporary pedestrian street is still littered with building materials and punctuated by unfinished patches, Ammanis are already flocking there to shop, sit on a table of a street-side cafe and.. rediscover the meaning of street life. Of course, street life always existed in Amman. Go to Jabal Al Hussein. Even better, go…
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Amman rooftoop billboards are coming DOWN! WHOOOOHOOOOO!
This is the disease.. Out-of-control, badly designed, tasteless retarded commercialism covering the facade of every commercial building in Amman. But now, the disease is beginning to get ERADICATED.. Witness the cleaning up of Amman’s facades.. Cranes on the sixth circle removing the supersized rooftops. Mecca street: stripping the rooftops down in preparation for removal. Mecca…
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The Children Museum: Jordan can be proud..
A scenario of hope: A 9 year old kid (let’s call him Omar) from Al Hussein camp/Karak/Aluk/Jabal Al Natheef is on a bus. He and a bunch of other kids from his public school are on their way to make their first visit to the Children Museum. The bus passes the gate of Al Hussein…