ArchDaily · Creativity & design

Salwa and Selma Mikoü on Architecture, Craft, and Contrasts

French-Moroccan twin sisters and architects Salwa and Selma Mikoü, founders of Mikoü Architecture, discuss their design philosophy, which integrates architecture, engineering, craftsmanship, and cultural memory.

The sisters' practice is influenced by their upbringing in Morocco, particularly their experience in a traditional riad. They highlight the "sensual" and "immersive" nature of Moroccan cities and the meaningfulness of living with contrasts, such as the transition from bright exterior spaces to intimate interiors.

They emphasize the significance of spatial sequences and how changes in scale, light, and enclosure shape experiences and foster relationships between people, drawing parallels to the traditional neighborhood structures they observed.

Salwa and Selma describe their collaborative process as complementary, often working separately initially before combining their ideas through drawing, sketching, and collage. They value conversation and their differences as a source of richness.

Their professional paths diverged after architecture school, with Salwa working at Ateliers Jean Nouvel, focusing on concepts, and Selma at Renzo Piano Building Workshop, emphasizing pragmatic and material aspects.

The architects express interest in engineering as fundamental to architecture and see industrialization as a progressive gesture that can make buildings "smart but still not standard."

Their Moroccan heritage instilled a strong tradition of craftsmanship, which they aim to merge with contemporary construction. They describe their practice as a "Manufacture of Architecture," where construction integrates diverse knowledge.

Their projects, like Art de Rives in Bordeaux, aim to create urban "melting pots" and spaces for encounters. Other works include Aquazena, Balsanéo, and the Simone Veil School Campus.

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