Toxic Fluids: My City is Bleeding, Contaminating the Mediterranean Basin with its Toxic Fluids

Lecture by Bernard Khoury | Part of the Riwaq al Fikr Lecture Series

Beirut is a striking example that I often call “a wonderful catastrophe”, a city that, over the last few decades, witnessed a rapid and chaotic development. In the absence of federating and consensual political projects, our neighborhoods are shaped by individualistic and distinct gestures that do not compose with each other. The most ordinary programs such as a residential development, a night club, a corporate office tower or a commercial building have to be considered as projects that can hold a political charge. These private undertakings, which initially do not bear any heavy social or political accountability, can be the grounds for another kind of radicalism. This is where architecture should take on another kind of political responsibility, in formulating a history that is non-consensual and not necessarily affirmative. I did not choose my battle fields. I chose to take action on distressed grounds where meaningful and generous efforts are much more needed.

This lecture will be held online and registration is required. Click here to register.

About the Speaker: Bernard Khoury

Bernard Khoury studied architecture at the Rhode Island school of Design and received a Master in Architectural Studies from Harvard University. He is the co-founder of the Arab Center for Architecture. He was the architect and co-curator of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s national pavilion at the Venice Biennale’s 14th International Architecture Exhibition in 2014. Khoury started an independent practice in 1993. His work has been extensively published. Over the past 20 years, his office has developed an international reputation and a significant diverse portfolio of projects.

About the Riwaq al Fikr Series

Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) in partnership with American University of Sharjah (AUS) present of Riwaq al Fikr ("Gallery of Ideas")— a six-part lecture series featuring prominent international thought leaders and design practitioners. The full lecture schedule can be found here.

For more information, please contact [email protected].