30 June 2018
“UNESCO Village” Hosts the 42nd World Heritage Committee Meeting, World Appreciation and praise for the quality and the beauty of its design
the 42nd meeting of the World Heritage Committee, held in Manama from 24-June-4 July and chaired by the Kingdom of Bahrain, is being held at the “UNESCO Village”, a 12,000 square meter’s special temporary complex set up by BACA in the vicinity of Ritz Carlton Hotel that is supporting this event.
Most of the participants at World Heritage Committee session lauded the meeting as a historic event, attracting a great deal of media coverage, praising the high level organization and choice of the location, “ UNESCO Village”, which reflects Bahrain’s keenness to provide the highest world standards of conformability and beauty. The design and the location go hand in hand with the impressive deliberations of the meeting, yielding more cultural and natural sites added to the World Heritage List.
“Ammar Basheir Studio for Art , the Creative Design” bureau masterminded the elaboration and idea design of the “ UNESCO Village”, saying that “ UNESCO Village is a dream that has come true, testifying to Bahrain’s ability and capacities as an ideal host for such world exceptional events”. Mr. Ammar Basheir added saying : “ This village set up is a proof that local Bahraini skills and talents are definitely updated with the cutting-edge world standards, given that this village set –up challenge reflects the strong determination and will of Bahraini qualified personnel who showed the world how to welcome visitors and guests coming from all four corners in our beloved hospitable kingdom”.
Worth to mention that the meeting sessions of WHC gathered more than 2000 experts in cultural and natural heritage from 139 countries and more than 1450 journalists from all over the world. Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities had previously set up all the logistic, information and technical preparations to make this meeting, held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa , May God Protect Him, a bright success.
Mr. Ammar Basheir added that “ The idea behind the design of the UNESCO Village is creative in all aspects; it is centered around a short gate entry decorated with traditional Bahraini architectural style, whereby the visitor finds himself amid different modern design spaces that widen automatically as he transits to the main meeting sessions’ hall”. Mr. Bahseir went on saying “ This generates an astonishment and surprise effects for the visitor who doesn’t expect the main WHC meeting room, set over 4,000 sq. meters hosting more than 4,000 people, to be place at the end of this artificial “ village”.
Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities has not simply provided the venue for the “UNESCO Village” for the second most important event of UNESCO after the General Assembly, but rather BACA deployed strenuous efforts to mastermind the slightest visual details, conveying a message of delight and comfort to the attendees. Commenting on this aspect of the design, Mr. Ammar Basheir also said “ With regard to the design of the village, a great of emphasis was focused on choosing neutral colors, like the brown colour, to give a streamline harmonious easy-going impression to walls and ceilings without exponentially choc the visitor with the wide space of the meeting”. Mr. Ammar Basheir also said “ The main entry desk is made up of wood designed like Bahraini palm trees’ branches, boosting thus the national identity in a modern way. Many black & white pictures and photos were selected from Bahraini architecture, in addition to simple expressionist wall- paintings, conveying a mixture of old and new art schools”. He added also that “ Japanese artist Tatsuo Yamamoto painting " The Echo Forest is placed at the heart of the main hall meetings, a work of art that combines all the countries in the world sitting around peace and unity -white -circular platform”
The Grand Hall at UNESCO Village is filled with warm earth –warm colours, giving a feeling of conviviality and warmth, in addition to the wooden tables scattered around the hall’s corners, decorated with traditional Bahraini Nagda carvings.
UNESCO village is also made up of offices, halls, meetings and forums rooms. It is the first of its type in Bahrain to be set up in a record time, only 45 days, by 500 workers. 25,000 sq. meters of fire proof safety requirement tissue were used to cover the walls, and 12,000 of carpet conference room carpet fireproof.
