The book celebrates the buildings, sites and urban landscapes
Abu Dhabi has changed a lot over the decades, but some of the city’s most interesting stories are hiding in plain sight.
Now, Archives of Tomorrow is putting the spotlight on them.
Launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the glossy bilingual coffee-table book is the first official publication dedicated to the emirate’s modern heritage.
Just think striking photography, architecture, urban landscapes and plenty of stories about the places that have helped give Abu Dhabi its identity.
The book brings together the work of photographers, artists and heritage specialists, offering different perspectives on the buildings and sites that have shaped the emirate over the years.
It has been co-authored and co-edited by Amel Chabbi, Conservation Section Head at DCT Abu Dhabi, and Yasmeen Al Rashdi, Head of the Modern & Urban Heritage Conservation Unit at DCT Abu Dhabi, who also contributed photography.
The publication was developed by Iman Al Sayed, Publishing & Digitisation Section Head at DCT Abu Dhabi, with Emirati book designer Hind Al Ali shaping its visual identity.
Photography and artwork from Daisy Chiftjian, Hussain Al Moosawi, Luke Decena, Mana Al Marbooei and Yasmin Hamad, alongside Al Rashdi’s photography, bring even more visual character to the book.
And this isn’t just one for the coffee table.
Archives of Tomorrow is designed as a cultural and academic resource for architects, conservators, urbanists, researchers, academics and anyone fascinated by architecture, design and Abu Dhabi’s evolution.
The publication is being produced in Arabic and English, with a limited-edition collectable print being followed by a wider trade edition later this year.
The latter will be available through selected bookstores, museum gift shops, cultural institution outlets and major cultural events and platforms.
The book also ties into DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider Modern Heritage Conservation Initiative and the emirate’s Cultural Heritage Law, helping document and protect the places that tell the story of Abu Dhabi’s development.
That work is already growing, with the Modern Heritage Register adding more than 40 newly listed sites earlier this year.
So while Abu Dhabi is constantly looking ahead, Archives of Tomorrow is a reminder that there’s plenty worth looking back at, too.
If you’re into architecture, photography, design or simply curious about how Abu Dhabi became the city it is today, this is one to keep an eye out for.
Visit the Abu Dhabi Culture Pavilion at ADIBF to find out more about Archives of Tomorrow
