Memory Of Homes & Hopes

2019 | Aleppo ,Syria

The body is perforated by home (Liwans) shaped voids, representing what’s missing, while accenting towards transcendental.

It rests on the site without imposing any precedence to any sides, magnetically absorbing the city from all sides towards its heart. The heart is where the light showers through the Oculus opening, offering the sky, which is still blue.

The facade, perforated by the memory of the missing homes (Liwans), acending towards the transendental.

The body, is a perforated hill shape edifice, enabling the city to slip in to its territory, first slide under, and then gradually ascend. The building rests on the site without imposing any precedence to any sides, absorbing the city from all sides towards its heart like a magnet. ;similar to the faciing citadel.

The heart is where the light showers through the central oculus-like opening, breathing life into the solid and offering the sky, which is still blue, regardless of the ashes on the ground.

Once representing shelter and safety, a void may signify Home more honestly these days in Syria. This void has found itself in the hearts and soul of the Syrians, representing what was meant to be and what no longer is. Yet home is what links the Syrians to Syria, their soul to their soil.

Hence building a sculpture be it much magnificent and aesthetic, will not do just in representing what is missing. The memorial should represent this void loud and clear, while also promoting hope and ascendant.

The Citadel represents the memory of Aleppo from the beginning until the war. The memorial should respectively represent Aleppo after the war. Sitting next to what gives meaning to the city causes an inevitable dialoged between the two. Although the latter is admiring the former, it shall be complimentary.

Considering the scale of the citadel in comparison to the memorial site (1:12), a wise design strategy would be as:

1-at first respect; without rising up in its maximum across from the citadel, the memorial bow over it and rising due to its needs. consequently the project is almost being burried.

2-second, interaction; not just adjoining the citadel but becomes a part of it via three elements of [form] ,[the crack] and [the chain].

“blood rivers flows on this land
the homes are destroyed
and marwan is looking for his mother over the borders
there’s nothing to show except
a sky which is still blue and birds fly”

No words can do just in descriobing the excessive scale of the human tragedy in Syria
…behind of the question “what has survived this apocalypse-like period, which could bring back spark of hope to the people,an immense space, left in silence and darkness is designed to resemble the sorrow, pain and loneliness of the ones surviving the war.

The ceiling though, is pierced with an oculus-like opening at the very center which brings light from above, a conspicuous symbol of hope, like a torch in the darkness, leading the lost.

The light showering from the ceiling, brings the celestial presence to the darkness, hope to the hopeless.