Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage

• Housing
• Major urban projects for the city and for the Bouregreg Valley and the lack of impact assessments in order to guarantee the visual integrity of the property and its surrounding areas

On 2 June 2020, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report and other documents in response to the Committee Decision adopted at its 43rd session (Baku, 2019). The report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1401/documents/, presents the following:

• A summary of the programme “Rabat ville lumière, capitale culturelle du Royaume” (2014-2018);
• Detailed documentation on the two projects: The Rabat-Ville Railway Station, located within the property, and the Mohammed VI Tower (formerly O Tower), located immediately outside the buffer zone;
• The Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) studies for the Rabat-Ville Railway Station, and the Mohammed VI Tower projects, as well as the related adopted measures and their implementation;
• Information on restoration and development projects within the property and in its buffer zone;
• Implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach;
• Information on capacity building workshops organised in November 2019 and February 2020, bringing together managers, professionals, specialists and national and international experts, focusing on HIAs and the HUL approach;
• Documents requested by the Committee were provided, comprising a study of the urban profile of the property, a 3D model of the property and its volumes in its setting in the Bouregreg Valley, spatial and 3D studies of the potential individual and cumulative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, and evidence of the integration of the Management Plan of the property into the City Development Plan and in the architectural design guidelines, in accordance with the HUL approach.

Following ICOMOS technical reviews of the development projects and recommendations provided, the State Party submitted a complementary report on 31 March 2021, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1401/documents/, and presents the following:

• Architectural specifications and information on the ‘dematerialisation’ of the Mohammed VI Tower, as well as additional photomontages with no wide-angle views of the Mohammed VI Tower from the left bank of the Bouregreg;
• Further information on the Rabat-Ville Railway Station, as well as information on Bab Chellah and Bab El Had parking, and the rehabilitation of the river facade of the medina of Rabat. Information on projects planned in the buffer zone was also provided;
• Details of a restoration project for the Café Maure.

ICOMOS subsequently provided a further Technical Review of the Café Maure.

The State Party has taken substantive steps in addressing the recommendations of the Committee and of the ICOMOS Technical Reviews, through providing comprehensive reports with HIAs, design details and view studies for the Mohammed VI Tower and Rabat-Ville Railway Station.

The State Party has also provided detailed information about ongoing and planned projects within the property and its buffer zone with related HIAs, including for the Morocco Mall Rabat project, Appart Hotel Strelysia Rabat, as well as the Café Maure restoration project. Technical Reviews of these projects were also provided by ICOMOS.

The integration of the objectives of the Management Plan into the new spatial development plan (PAS) is to be welcomed as both plans will facilitate the identification, conservation and enhancement of the architectural heritage and the historic landscape. So, too, are the workshops that have been organized focusing on HIAs and the HUL approach, including a virtual workshop on Heritage Impact Assessment as a tool for the protection and safeguarding of World Heritage, with the participation of UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies (26 November 2020), and the launch of a capacity building programme, which includes the organization of scientific conferences and workshops on conservation and restoration methods.

For the Mohammed VI Tower, in line with the recommendations of the 2018 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission, the design profile and façade cladding material of the tower have been modified to enhance the effect of evanescence of the north façade in the landscape, in order to achieve a ‘dematerialization’ effect that could mitigate its adverse impacts in the landscape. Photomontages of the tower (correctly produced without wide-angle views) have been provided to assess the potential visual impact of the tower on the integrity of the property. While these indeed demonstrate a certain attenuation of the visual impact on the Bouregreg Valley landscape, they do not confirm a real ‘dematerialization’ and cannot allay overall the concerns relating to the inappropriateness context and scale of this project.

Concerning the extension of the Rabat-Ville Railway Station, information has been provided on the architectural solution for the interference of the new complex with the historic wall, the solution for rainwater drainage, and plans to connect the inner square to the Ibn Toumert garden as well the proposal for having several types of passages or doors, allowing to respect the current topography. The proposed solution for the key interface with the wall appears to be the most ‘honest’ and most appropriate way forward that is available in the current situation from a methodological and architectural point of view. The future restoration project of the original station building is undergoing consultations, and once finalised, it will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

While further details, including HIAs have been provided for these two projects after their initiation in order to address the concerns that were raised about adverse impacts, it has become clear that enhanced processes are needed for future development and conservation projects in order to minimise any potential impact. Such measures will need to include strengthening of the overall management and planning framework, and the adoption of timeframes that allow the production of HIAs and timely submission of proposals in advance of decisions being made. The steps taken so far in these directions are to be welcomed in relation to the integration of the Management Plan into the Spatial Development Plan, and the workshop on HIAs.

The State Party extended an invitation for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission, which has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that the Committee reiterates its recommendation for the mission to take place as soon as the situation allows, in order to strengthen dialogue with the State Party on approaches to the protection of the property.