Arish: Palm-Leaf Architecture in the United Arab Emirates(16 April to 25 May), curated by London-based architect, Sandra Piesik, will present a contemporary view on the future of this most renewable and locally available building resource.

The first exhibition of its kind in Europe, it portrays the 7,000 year history of a unique indigenous craft, which is an essential, but fast disappearing, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE's) history and heritage. It will include early 20^thcentury photographs of buildings and sites on the Arabian Peninsula taken from the Society's photographic collection and used for historical context alongside Sandra's modern day photographs.

Commenting ahead of the event, Sandra, who has undertaken a three-year research project in the United Arab Emirates, said: "Traditional buildings constructed from the leaves of date palms, tree trunks and rope made from palm fibre has provided shelter from the extremes of climate on the Arabian Peninsula for millennia. Today, western styles of architecture employed in the region threaten to erase this valuable heritage."

Arish-built structures, from summer and winter houses of Ras Al Khaimah to the Bedu community settlements of Liwa, have evolved over the centuries to provide a strong vernacular. They are simple but sophisticated in design, practical to transport, and yet strong enough to withstand the extreme conditions of the desert.

Visitors will not only get chance to look at the displays in the Society's Exhibition Pavilion, but also be able to enter an authentic Arish House in the Society's garden, reconstructed as part of the educational initiative carried out by Article 25 and Sandra Piesik. Materials have been contributed byAbu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, Historic Environment Department in Al Ain.

Sandra added: "The exhibition aims to stimulate debate about contemporary adaptation of crafts and authentic cultural continuity in the globalised world, as well as a timely record of how many localised techniques are on the verge of extinction."

The exhibition will run from Monday 16 April to Friday 25 May (including weekend opening) and entry is free.

ENDS

 Notes to editors

1. For further details and requests to interview the curator contact the RGS-IBG Media and Communications office on 02075913019 or emailpress@rgs.org 
   

2. Palm Leaf Architecture in the United Arab Emirates is on show at the Pavilion of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR (Use Exhibition Road entrance). Date: 16 April - 25 May, 2012. Monday - Sunday 10am -5pm. Free Entry. The nearest tube station is South Kensington.

3. Sandra Piesikis the founder of 3 ideas Limited (http://www.3ideasme.com/), an architectural consultancy specializing in architecture, design and cultural research. She has worked extensively in the United Arab Emirates on projects that have aimed to reconnect historic UAE culture and its heritage to the contemporary environment, and has focused in particular on the use of palm-leaf construction methods. She is a chartered member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and was recently invited to become a Nominator for the Aga Khan Award in Architecture projects. Sandra's book Arish: Palm Leaf Architecture was released on 24^thFebruary 2012 by Thames & Hudson (http://www.thamesandhudson.com/)

4. The Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers) is the learned society and professional body for geography. Formed in 1830, our Royal Charter of 1859 is for 'the advancement of geographical science'. Today, we deliver this objective by developing, supporting and promoting geography through research, expeditions and fieldwork, education, and public engagement, while also providing geographical input to policy. We aim to foster an understanding and informed enjoyment of our world. We hold the world's largest private geographical collection and provide public access to it. We have a thriving Fellowship and membership and offer the professional accreditation 'Chartered Geographer'www.rgs.org 
   

5. The Society's Collections of more than two million photographs, maps, paintings, documents, periodicals, artefacts and books, span more than 500 years of geography, travel and exploration. An unparalleled resource for research, their visual reference by Sandra Piesik in her work is just one way that they are being used in new ways in the 21st Century.