ArchDaily · Creativity & design

Sharjah Architecture Triennial Releases Films on Baghdad, Damascus, Tunis Archives

The Sharjah Architecture Triennial (SAT) has released three documentary films from its "A Journey into Architecture Archives" project online, focusing on Baghdad, Damascus, and Tunis. This initiative aims to document and preserve architectural heritage across the Arab world.

The films combine archival research, fieldwork, and oral histories to explore how architectural histories are created and reinterpreted. This project builds on SAT's 2023 iteration, expanding its scope while emphasizing local knowledge.

The project seeks to build a shared archival infrastructure by connecting dispersed collections and fostering collaboration. It views archives as active sites for inquiry, mapping regional architectural histories from within.

The 2026 iteration also included a 'Collection Room' exhibition, highlighting the precarious state of many regional architectural archives.

The exhibition featured drawings, documents, and models from the 1930s to the 1980s, showcasing a period of civic ambition and design experimentation.

Works displayed included realized buildings and unbuilt designs, such as records of Tunis's Hôtel du Lac and Baghdad's Mayoralty Building.

The project's long-term vision is to create a comprehensive and accessible architectural archive for the region, encouraging its active use.

A public program accompanied the exhibition, featuring discussions on the challenges and methodologies of working with architectural archives.

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