I just got back from the protest outside the original Chamber of Commerce and Industry building and I have to say, I’m a bit disappointed. There were only around 30 people there mostly consisting of young Kuwaiti architects which makes me wonder, where was everyone else? I know a lot more than just 30 people care about saving Kuwait’s architectural heritage but they just weren’t there.
I was kinda joking around with a friend that maybe if there was valet more people would show up but I’m starting to think that it might have actually attracted more people. In any case the owner of the building was there and he actually wants to preserve the building but the baladiya only gave approval on demolishing and not refurbishing. Too much politics, but hopefully this is going to get solved and the building will be saved. But even if this building is saved today, there will still be more that need saving tomorrow.
Photo on top by @jassamino
29 replies on “Saving Kuwait’s Heritage #hadam”
So the protest saved it? wont be demolished?
don’t you know to get people to show up there’s got to be free food preferably burgers.
THIS
The other 10,000 protesters are sitting at their rental, two bedroom apartment waiting 20+ years for government housing to shelter their families. The last thing on their mind is the old building where rich families grandfathers had their Diwaniya.
This is our heritage
It’s bad enough that ALL of Kuwait’s buildings from the pre-oil era has been DEMOLISHED. If you go to Sharq and Jebla, you won’t see any pre-oil buildings
The government has been intentionally trying to ERASE our identity. Even Dubai and Bahrain have more pre-oil buildings than Kuwait.
I think we should also demonstrate and try to keep our beautiful Airport in tact….
oh wait.
they’re also taking down parts of old souq… سوق السلاح
Seriously?
Historical building from 60s? LOL
Whats so funny about that?
Historical buildings are supposed to be a bit older..
the country isn’t that old to begin with.
Actually, Kuwait had alot of historical buildings in the past but they were all demolished in the 1960s and 1970s to make room for ”modern” buildings.
All of Kuwait’s pre-oil heritage was demolished.
Sharq, Jebla and Mirqab
Yeah let’s keep kuwait looking like the 60’s and then complain about not looking like dubai.
Now you’re just trolling. By your logic we should demolish all the buildings in Paris as well because they make it look outdated.
No by my logic you demolish ugly deserted buildings from the 60s. Parisian buidlsings hundreds and hundreds of years old. The fact that somebody approached UNESCO for this piece of crap is a total joke.
Your logic is flawed because if went by it Kuwait wouldn’t have any historical buildings, they would all be demolished. Your logic dictates that a historical building must be really old but age isn’t the only thing that makes a building historic.
meh, +10000000000
https://www.da.gov.kw/eng/contactInfo/
the subject is too silly for such action.
Hmmmm…. saving national identity and heritage is “silly.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kuwait#Economy_of_early_Kuwait
There SHOULD be a historical committee that declares certain buildings in Kuwait city as historical and renovates them funded by the government. Get one of those sheikahs to head this committee and do something for the country.
How is saving an old and fugly building doing something for the country?
It’s to help you understand your culture and where you come from. It’s history. If they wiped everything from the past how would the next generation know where they came from.
Yeah that’s not history. Stuff like old fishing boats and pearl diving apparatus are what I would call history. This building had no bearing on anyone who was around at the time.
Maybe it doesn’t mean anything to you but to the local architectural community it’s of great importance.
Dear Mr. Sumsang, I take it that you have a PhD in history, and is quite well qualified to distinguish between what is history and what is not?
Sumsang, Kuwait didn’t have ”old fishing boats”. Kuwait has old trading ships which were used for maritime trade
Kuwait’s ships were considered the best trade ships and Kuwaiti ships were used in trade ports all over the world
Fishing is insignificant, Kuwait’s economy was primarily based on maritime trade
It is better to at least refurbish but still maintain the façade