The chief curator of the UAE's National Pavillion for the 17th Architecture Bienalle di Venezia (2020 and 2021) – and recipient of the Golden Lion Award – architect Wael Al Awar joins us on the afikra podcast for fascinating conversation about the problem with modern and globalized architecture, and building with the future in mind. Waiwai's founding partner and principle architect takes a deep dive into cement as a material and discusses the disconnect between standardized architecture and cultural and geographical contexts. Wael also explains why architecture as a profession has become intertwined with ego, and answers whether we're truly stuck with skyscrapers.
Wael Al Awar is an architect and founder of waiwai alongside Kazuma Yamao — an architectural, landscape, urban, interior and graphic design studio with offices in Dubai and Tokyo. Waiwai takes a highly contextual approach to address social, environmental and technological questions through design. Wael was the chief Curator of the National Pavilion of the UAE for the Bienalle di Venezia 2020 and 2021, and recipient of the Golden Lion Award.
Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani
Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna
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About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.