The sudden demolition of two recently-built multistorey car parks along the Pearling Path will pave way for a comprehensive redevelopment plan for Muharraq, including improving access to the historic Beit Shaikh Isa Bin Ali Al Khalifa landmark.
Speaking to the GDN, Muharraq Municipal Council chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar believes that the project would help revamp the area, as part of a new urban plan.
“Two out of the four car parks are being demolished, as part of the development project,” he added.
Mr Al Naar noted that the project will create a more spacious entrance to the Shaikh Isa Bin Ali Al Khalifa House.
He added that the demolition comes as part of the ‘comprehensive development vision’ of Muharraq ordered by His Majesty King Hamad.
The timing of the project coincides with the designation of 2026 as the ‘Year of Isa Al Kabeer’ by His Majesty King Hamad, to commemorate the founder of modern Bahrain and strengthen national identity.
Reactions to the demolition have been mixed on social media, with some architectural enthusiasts saying they would miss the buildings, while locals say that the structures were only used during high-volume events like Muharraq Nights.
“They only reach full capacity during the festival, which runs from December 1 to 30,” one Bahraini commentator wrote. “For the remaining 11 months of the year, three of the structures operate only at ground level.
“They are an eyesore. You may see them as architectural or engineering achievements, but they are uncomfortable to look at and even worse to use.
“This is a city of narrow alleyways, imperfect walls, and a quiet, human scale. It is a place defined by warmth and intimacy.
“Dropping massive concrete forms into that context does not respond to the city.
“I have personally tried to use the upper levels multiple times. Each experience was filled with anxiety.
“I have seen drivers panic, struggle to navigate the ramps, even crash, and call for help just to get out!”
Christian Kerez, the architectural firm which originally designed the car parks, announced the demolition on its social media accounts, adding that the Plot A and Plot C lots were being torn down. “They have a special meaning to me because one can observe the incidental life that unfolds beyond infrastructure,” one of the project’s architects Alex Yang Xiaotan observed.
The set of four car parks was built, for an unspecified cost, and inaugurated by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) in 2022 and 2023, with an estimated total capacity of 1,000 cars. The original aim was to provide free parking for Muharraq citizens and paid parking for visitors to the Unesco World Heritage Pearling Path site.
In addition to vehicles, the structures were also envisioned as accessible spaces for gatherings, prayer and events.
The project had comprised four buildings with a total surface area of approximately 45,000sqm, each adapting a shared design logic to different urban conditions.
A system of sloping concrete slabs that merged into continuous ramps, connecting multiple levels while shaping a sequence of varied spatial conditions, was the key unique element of these buildings.
It produced a shifting experience throughout the car parks through differing heights, curvatures and enclosures much to the angst of many drivers.
Further project details were not available at this time, however Mr Al Naar noted that the relevant authorities were working to get the project completed as ‘efficiently as possible’.
The GDN has approached Baca for an official statement regarding the demolition. There was no response at the time of going to Press.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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