Building for hope : towards an architecture of belonging / Marwa al-Sabouni.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Al-Sabouni, Marwa, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Architecture.

Cities and towns.

City planning.

Physical Description:

223 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Thames & Hudson, 2021.

Summary:

Marwa al Sabouni was a little-known architect, living in battle-ravaged Homs, unable to practice her profession as the buildings and the lives around her and across Syria were reduced to rubble. Rather than flee her country, like so many of her compatriots, she remained, committed to the belief that the multilayered and multifaceted society she grew up in was worth rebuilding. She turned her fierce intelligence to chronicling how her city and country were undone through decades of architectural mismanagement and mistakes. The result was 'The Battle for Home'. Published in 2016, the book and her story attracted the attention of international news media and received critical acclaim around the world. She became a TED fellow; some suggested she be nominated for architecture's highest honour, the Pritzker Prize. Until the book was published, al Sabouni had rarely travelled outside of her native country, but 'The Battle for Home' gained her invitations to speak to audiences, institutes and experts across the world. Her travels, combined with her deep understanding of the Middle Eastern heritage and values, provided al Sabouni with insights into a wide range of cities, which informed her views on how cities best work, how they might fail, and what can be done to enrich and harmonize the lives of all their inhabitants. This is a rich journey, drawing together several narratives: her personal observations of some of the world's most fascinating cities, from Detroit to Helsinki, from Bristol to Amsterdam; the lessons that Western societies might learn from Islamic culture; and philosophical reflections, drawing on a range of thinkers, on how our personal and communal spaces can provide the basic foundations for happiness.

Contents:

The fear of death: Attaining continuity

The fear of need: The search for abundance

The fear of treachery: Finding the exit

The fear of loneliness: Achieving acceptance

The fear of boredom: The kaleidoscope of meaning.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780500343722

0500343721

OCLC:

1233308642