While Facade to Facade is limited in scope to residential, commercial, and mixed-use buildings, this body of work, developed in collaboration with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, expands that horizon to document a broader and more diverse architectural landscape across the emirate. To date, the collection includes over 40 structures, forming a growing visual record of Abu Dhabi’s modern heritage. Initiated in 2021 and further advanced through the Modern Heritage Conservation Initiative, the project focuses on buildings selected for their architectural, social, and historical significance. These include but are not limited to government buildings, former palaces, commercial strips, residential complexes, and infrastructural elements such as water tanks. Positioned at the intersection of documentation and research, the work contributes to an ongoing effort to recognise and reframe the value of Abu Dhabi’s modernist and transitional architecture, particularly from the 1970s and 1980s.

These structures, often overshadowed by both traditional architecture and contemporary developments, represent a critical phase in the emirate’s urban formation—one that reflects early nation-building ambitions, regional influences, and evolving construction practices. Through a consistent visual approach, the project seeks to articulate the identity of this period, not through isolated landmarks, but through a wider architectural fabric. In doing so, it complements Facade to Facade while extending its scope beyond typological inquiry into a more comprehensive cultural and historical documentation of the built environment.

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Photographs © Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi