Basil Al-Bayati: Recent Works

Basil Al-Bayati's individual and distinctive architectural style is admired throughout the Middle East and Europe for its fusion of function and symbolism. His skilful weaving together of eastern and western architectural language, aiming to reconcile two incompatible worlds, has made him one of London's most admired architects practising today.The metaphorical use of the plant and animal kingdoms creates a coherent structure in his work, yet allows for inner rhythms, patterns and complexities. Demonstrated here in the Oriental Village by the Sea, Dominican Republic, the ecoskeleton of the animal provides the nucleus of the plan, while its network of roads and causeways take their inspiration from the branching form of a tree.This richly illustrated volume, which covers Al-Bayati's work over the last four years, includes two of his recent projects in the Middle East: the Qair Ghumdan Hotel in Yemen and the Sinmar Palaces. These demonstrate his clever use of historic analogy as they take their inspiration from ancient stories celebrating mythological buildings.