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The architecture of Abu Dhabi clearly reflects the city's culture and traditions. With globalization, architecture of Abu Dhabi has also witnessed worthy progression.
The vernacular design and architecture in Abu Dhabi delineated traditional lifestyles and customs of locals. As per the history of Abu Dhabi, tribal communities thriving here used portable tents for shelter, especially in winters. In the months of summer, home meant an arish made of palm fronds.
With the development of architecture in Abu Dhabi, the inlands witnessed spiraling of houses built of stone guss. This guss was a mixture of mud made into blocks. The roofs of these houses were made up of palm tree leaves. Proper precautions were taken to make houses ideally suited for hot and humid conditions prevalent in Abu Dhabi.
Early architectural forms in Abu Dhabi laid emphasis on privacy and ventilation for layout of houses. Almost every house had a courtyard, separate cooking section, meeting rooms, etc. The interiors were decorated using local crafts of Abu Dhabi. Colorful floor rugs, exquisite wooden lattice work and embellished wooden entrances were special features of architecture in Abu Dhabi in the past.
With time, oil exploration made Abu Dhabi one of the richest cities in the world. And, with richness came modernization. As the city made a mark on the international platform, the level of architecture in Abu Dhabi also witnessed a rise.
Modern designs, sophisticated technologies and world-class building materials became the order of the day. Within no time, the city became home to innumerable skyscrapers that had chic designs and sleek glass frontals. The city landscape had a complete makeover as some of these modern structures were declared as architectural marvels.
The splendor of early architecture of Abu Dhabi can be seen in its heritage centers, ancient forts and mosques. Museums in Abu Dhabi have displays of old structures that give an insight into the erstwhile lifestyle of this city.
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