Kuwait's Architectural Awakening | Roberto Fabbri

Architect, researcher, and associate professor at Zayed University, Roberto Fabbri, joined us on the afikra podcast to talk about Kuwait’s architectural transformation between 1949 and 1989 which he co-wrote a book about (with Sara Saragoça Soares and Ricardo Camacho)
titled “Modern Architecture Kuwait 1949 - 1989”. In this deep dive into Kuwait’s architecture, Roberto contrasts “old Kuwait” and “new Kuwait”, maps out the modernist period in its context, and highlights the role of consumerism and obsolescence in how cities in the Gulf are understood. He points to a “cycle of demolition” for why cities such as Kuwait are unable to stratify or become preserved build environments that capture the memories of its inhabitants. Finally, we discuss the environmental impact of demolition and what we can learn from the story of Kuwait.
0:00 Introduction
0:51 Why Kuwaiti Architecture?
8:22 Architecture Between 1949 & 1989
10:17 Kuwait’s Old City
17:30 Personal Relationship with Kuwait
19:46 Pioneers of Kuwaiti Architecture
22:49 Kuwait’s Japanese-Designed Airport
26:22 What We Can Learn From The Story of Kuwait
39:56 Obsolescence & Demolition of Buildings
46:26 Saving Buildings Past & Present
50:10 Contrasting With How Beirut Represents the Future
53:11 Architectural Book Recommendations
Roberto Fabbri is an architect, researcher, and associate professor at Zayed University, College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (UAE). His research interest engages with the notion of narrative spaces, reading the role of heritage and architecture in the definition of processes such as modernization, identity-making, knowledge exchange and establishment of traditions. With an emphasis on the Middle East and the Gulf, Roberto’s research embraces 20th-century architecture and its potential reuse as well as cultural spaces (museums and exhibitions) in the Global South. He co-authored the double-volume “Modern Architecture Kuwait 1949 - 1989” with Sara Saragoça Soares and Ricardo Camacho.
Connect with Roberto 👉 / roberto__fabbri
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#Kuwait #Architecture #ArchitecturalHistory #TheGulf #Modernism