Sharjah 24: The President of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, and the Curator of the second edition, Tosin Oshinowo, recently announced the title and theme of the Triennial as The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability.
The title refers to how issues of scarcity in the Global South have created a culture of re-use, re-appropriation, innovation, collaboration and adaptation. Through the lens of these differing modes of practice, the Triennial – opening in November 2023 – will explore how we can reorient global conversations to create a more sustainable, resilient and equitable future.
The prevailing idea that architecture’s iconic works must remain constant over time has led to an erosion of the distinctive and adaptive architectural practices of the Global South that respond directly to culture, place and climate. Whilst historically subordinated in favour of an ethos of permanence in architecture pervasive in the Global North, these methods – shaped by the rhythms of everyday life, climate and material availability – offer design solutions for the many challenges facing our populations.
Elaborating on the relevance of the theme for Sharjah, Oshinowo said: ‘Sharjah is an incredible venue to explore impermanence, adaptability, and scarcity as they relate to the future of architecture - both because of the natural extreme climate conditions, and because of the overwhelming presence of impermanence in civic status. It confronts head-on the challenge of extreme climate within its traditional architecture and the inevitability of human transience that is easily ignored in many other areas of the world. A study of Sharjah provides the foundation to explore approaches to architecture that prioritize an understanding of impermanence, an embrace of the inevitability of scarcity, and a psychology of the collective that is essential for our shared future globally.’
Bringing together a range of voices and perspectives, Oshinowo – Lagos-based Nigerian architect and founder of cmDesign Atelier – has put together a curatorial advisory board of international architects, artists and designers to enrich her curatorial vision for 2023. The board includes: Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President of Sharjah Architecture Triennial and President & Director of Sharjah Art Foundation; Beatrice Galilee, Co-Founder and executive director of a new platform for architecture and design discourse, The World Around; Mariam Kamara, Founder of architecture and research firm Atelier Masomi in Niger; Rahul Mehrotra, Founder of architecture firm RMA Architects of Mumbai + Boston and Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design; Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, British-Nigerian artist; and Paulo Tavares, Brazilian architect and urbanist. Their expertise and insight will augment Oshinowo’s vision for the Triennial as a platform for discourse on the alternative creative strategies that are urgently required, as architecture strives for a better future.
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