research themes

The following selection of themes was not exhaustive and was kept intentionally broad to allow architects, artists and writers to introduce their perspectives on one or more of the subject matters. A key element shared by the themes was that they should be expressed in the physical environment of the cities:

• Ideological, social-cultural, and economic influences that have shaped and continue to shape the contemporary ‘Arab City’. inspired by cities.

• The dialectic relationship between this physical environment and the city’s inhabitants.

• Issues of memory and identity.

• What elements are shared between Arab and other cities and how are they interpreted and experienced by the respective nationalities.

• Spaces inhabited by immigrants, refugees, guest workers, settlers and ex-pats.

• The relationship between conflict (military, social, political, etc) and the physical environment.

• What does the physical environment tell us about the vision of the future of the Arab nation states? Have they created symbols of national unity or of alienation?

• What, if anything, have these Arab cities contributed to international architecture and design? And what has been the international contribution to the physical environment of the Arab city?