Dr. Saleem Dahabreh
Abstract
This paper examines the architecture of Amman/Jordan. Immersed in tradition, but also open and cosmopolitan, modern Amman went through a series of political, cultural, and economic transformations resulted in developing an expansive and a multiple sense of identity. This is highly reflected in its architecture; largely diversified in scale and in style: between modern styles and traditional one, from aesthetically pleasing to visually displeasing and from culturally acceptable to totally alien. Through visual observation, this paper closely examines the architectural scene of Amman and attempts to give a preliminary classification of such diversified trends. The paper identified seven architectural trends ranging from the international to the regional to the neo-traditional. The afterthought of the paper concluded that these trends can be further grouped into three general categories; formal contemporary, contextual, and eclectic, reflecting a more general attitude towards modernity, tradition, and development.