Water Systems of the Gulf Allies & Morrison
Allies and Morrison hosted an exhibition, Falaj to City: Water Systems of the Gulf’s Oases, from 30 January to 17 February 2017 at our Southwark Street studios. The exhibit presented a study of the falaj, a longstanding water irrigation system that has helped to nourish communities across the Arabian Peninsula.
Applied over centuries of development, the falaj have become not just an important means of irrigating agriculture in a harsh climate, but places where public and private realms move, facilitating exchange and interaction. Through a series of models, the display illustrated how and where falaj occur at different scales, from a single settlement to a whole city.
Our interest in the falaj as a typology developed our of our work on the masterplan for Madinat al Irfan, a new city in Oman. A contemporary falaj system is incorporated into the urban design of the city, helping to nourish both urban agriculture and recreational opportunities.
Falaj to City was a collaboration between Ahmed & Rashid bin Shabib, Case Design and Allies and Morrison.
