The exhibition “On a Journey. Spanish Architecture in the Arab world”, organized by Casa Arabe and the Spanish Higher Council of Orders of Architects (CSCAE) continues its roadshow through several Arab countries, including Kuwait, where it has stayed this week. The two day program was composed by the exhibition itself, which brings together various projects developed by Spanish architectural and engineering firms -as GDIS by AGi Architects-, lectures by architects and student presentations.
Nasser Abulhasan, co-founder and partner of AGi Architects, has been one of the guest speakers along with the Spanish architect Carlos Lamela at an event hold on 17 and 18 December, organized by the American Institute of Architecture Students – Kuwait University Chapeter and the Spanish Embassy in Kuwait.
During his lecture, Nasser Abulhasan addressed the role of Western architects in the Gulf region and its evolution from the years following the oil boom -when an architecture based on material culture and technological advancement of the West was prevailing- to the early 70-80’s of the last century, when there was a shift towards a renewed interest in tradition and cultural identity.
In addition, he focused the second part of his presentation to analyze how globalization is related to the architecture pedagogy. With globalization the cultural diversity and ideological differences that were one separated find themselves in close proximity in time and space. Rapid pace of cultural change and the inter-cultural nature of architecture practice in a global economy require a shift of emphasis in architectural education.
Responses to questions like these ones were provided. How do we then respect cultural difference in the face of globalization? Does the global marketplace demand a different set of skills from the architect? How can regional architecture be (re)defined? What are the trends of regionalism in Kuwait and how do they coexist, compete or contradict with the process of globalization?
Finally, Nasser shared with all attendees several internationally awarded projects designed by AGi architects, combining tradition and modernity, respecting the cultural conditions of their countries, and being reinterpreted and adapted to the current time and needs, such as the government building GDIS, Cardiac Research and Rehabilitation Center, Ali Mohamed T. Alghanim Center and “La Ascensión del Señor” Church.
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