ARCHITECTURE THESIS

The Invisible Kasbah of ROHM

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion5

Opera5

The Meaning of the Word Opera in Language and Terms5

Historical Reference of the Art of Opera5

The Opera Type and Voice6

The emergence of the Opera art in the Arab world6

Oman-A look at the past7

Historical Background7

Muscat8

Rules and Regulation of ROHM Neighbourhood9

Brief through the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM)10

The impact11

What ROHM will give in addition to culture, such as music and its evolution in Oman?12

Respond To the Local Omani Public Debate12

The say of the local citizens13

A walk through the ROHM plan14

Lavish Journey with beauty and magnificence in the building of the Royal Opera House14

The Role of traditional music and dance in Oman15

A traditional art form as a Mirror to the Opera art (Sea Singing and dance)16

Design concept and functions17

Layers of houses with self contained material17

A place for working women and children (Country Vision 2020)18

Connecting the sea to site with Floating market19

Fishing19

Conclusion20

References23

Bibliography24

The Invisible Kasbah of ROHM

Introduction

Well spread into the Omani cities, forts and castles symbolise its pedigree civilization that strike in history roots. Towers built on the mountains, and the Highlands bordering the city to guard it against aspirants. This has resulted in the combination of modernity with authenticity modern Omani architecture in coordinated and harmonious cities, and urban agglomerations distinguish Oman, and it adds further beauty and architectural trend into account that assets of Arab-Islamic architecture, with the adaption to the circumstances and nature of the environment. One cannot pass without seeing the new Royal Opera House in Muscat, where it rises as Castle towering facades in shiny white marble interfaces directly beside by Muscat fast road. It contains the massive towers and wide corridors that stretch from Opera building to all directions. The research started by understanding the origin of Opera, and its meaning, and if there is any relation to the Arab world and understand the building and its functions. The series of investigation started by questioning this building (ROHM) and try to find the essence of it and understand its form and space and appreciate its structure and going in detail into the aesthetic of the building.

By studying the building and its relation to the country; it reveals that it is not only about an Opera performance, but it shows how one architectural object can contain a whole series of social discourse that makes it part of the surrounding but yet there are missing elements from the castles theme. This opera house is a western art form that overlaps with local and traditional form of the country, such as sea singing that is not clearly exposed. Therefore, the thesis is a strategy taken forward in the concept of Kasbah as a protective structure without walls and creating a living and public space that a castle would have looked like. The design purpose is to utilise the wasted space in the building and convert the opera building to a fortress city by adding a layer of missing functions and critic the walled city, at the same time bringing the community and activity closer through the ...