Welcome to
What we did
Rethinking
Rethinking
Kuwait
The Kuwait Pavilion is rethinking urban planning processes through rethinking transportation, walkability, and accessibility. The project’s focus is to improve the human scale of the city by enhancing urban transitional and interstitial spaces as well as prioritizing mass transit over individual vehicular modes of travel. The process looks at an approach to urban planning that explores a top- down macroscale simultaneously with a bottom-up microscale, keeping the human experience and scale critical for the new plan. The interconnectivity of the city’s historic fabric is revisited through various scales of urban interventions, resulting in a new network of connectivity that forms multiple modes of transportation that culminate on the human scale. The project’s title reflects the process of rethinking as an effort to decolonize architectural discourse. History is treated as a spiral rather than a linear timeline, looking for moments of precedent that can inform future development.
Vision
In pursuit of new models for urban design processes, the team Rethinking Rethinking Kuwait engaged with local participants through an open call to reimagine how our urban planning systems function.
Approach
The focus was to address the missed opportunities for refinement by addressing the issue of public transportation and the facilities associated with them. The open call resulted in various projects ranging from vernacular design to planting ecologies. Participants were encouraged to think in terms of design frameworks rather than definitive design solutions that can expand beyond our contemporary paradigms. As we question our relationship to our regional context in the Anthropocene, we must define for ourselves how we hope to live on this land.
About
Rethinking Rethinking Kuwait is a multidisciplinary collective exploring Kuwait through various media and scales. Our process unpacks the infraordinary everyday life, the spaces in between that are often regarded as fixed and static conditions. The built environment we occupy has been defined and delivered to us as a complete and ideal product of universal design principles.
Team
The Team
COMMISSIONER
ABDULAZIZ ALMAZEEDI
CURATOR
HAMAD ALKHALEEFI
CURATOR
NASER ASHOUR
CURATOR
RABAB RAES KAZEM
CURATOR
MOHAMMAD KASSEM
CONTRIBUTOR
ABDULAZIZ BAZUHAIR
CONTRIBUTOR
DANA AL-RASHID
CONTRIBUTOR
HASAN ALSAFFAR
CONTRIBUTOR
MARYAM MOHAMMED
CONTRIBUTOR
NOUR JAFAR
CONTRIBUTOR
SAYER ALSAYER
CONTRIBUTOR
ZAHRA HASHIM
CONTRIBUTOR
ABDULLAH ALBUSAILI
CONTRIBUTOR
ALIAA MAHDY
CONTRIBUTOR
AZIZ MOTAWA
CONTRIBUTOR
BADER ALMOULAH
CONTRIBUTOR
BATOOL ASHOUR
CONTRIBUTOR
FATIMA ALFULAIJ
CONTRIBUTOR
MAHA ALASAKIR
CONTRIBUTOR
NADA ABU DAQER
CONTRIBUTOR
NOOR ABDULKHALEQ
CONTRIBUTOR
NOURA ALAZMI
CONTRIBUTOR
QUTAIBA BOYABIS
CONTRIBUTOR
SARA AL ZEER
CONTRIBUTOR
SULTAN ALSAMHAN
CONTRIBUTOR
YASMIN ABDAL
CONTRIBUTOR
JASSIM ALELWANI
CONTRIBUTOR
Abdulrahman Sadeq
CONTRIBUTOR
Athari Al-Mutawa
CONTRIBUTOR
Faris Alsayed
CONTRIBUTOR
Jassim Al-Nashmi
CONTRIBUTOR
Malak Al-Suwaihel
CONTRIBUTOR
Mohammed Khesroh
CONTRIBUTOR
Zahra Al-Mahdi
biennale de arquitectura
Projects
Hasan AlSaffar +
Naser Ashour
Historic Reformation
A collection of collages reimagining the demolished structures of old Kuwait City, this project aims to reimagine the lost historic details. Using artificial intelligence, low-resolution images are upscaled and reconstructed. AI is then utilized to envision alternative architectural development scenarios, speculating on how the present or future might have looked.
Kliky ai
One App,
Infinite Possibilities,
Social Network,
Kliky AI
Mohammed Khesroh
Decentralizing Kuwait City and the integration of Civilian and entrepreneurial Industry 4.0
A model that aims to create an interconnected urban environment in Kuwait, integrating the past, present, and future urban settings. It emphasizes resource movement and allocation to establish a central decentralized unit for industrial robustness. The model envisions a future with a decentralized transportation system that efficiently connects public spaces and utilizes allocated resources effectively.
Abdulaziz Bazhair+
Naser Ashour
Walkability and Transportation
Kuwait’s reliance on private vehicles reduces physical activity, increases obesity risk, and causes air pollution. A safe and affordable public transport system is needed to improve walkability, physical activity, and sun exposure, reducing obesity and Vitamin D deficiency. The World Health Organization advises developing such a system to decrease motor vehicle dependency and air pollution.
Jassim Al-Nashmi
Energy Nucleus
A vision for the future of Kuwait’s urban fabric to contain chronological striations, where the past is on the street level, the present is the algae-powered overground trains, and the future is the underground rail and carbon capture machines. The project retrofits the existing street level to incorporate a bus stop within a roundabout, transforming mosque plazas into transportation hubs.
Jassim Al-Elwani
A walk through Sharq business district
An impromptu video highlighting an existing and organically formed pedestrian corridor through the business district of Sharq, Kuwait City. The video is shot in 1-go and at just under an hour long it is played in real time. The video takes a construction manager’s approach at highlighting pragmatic construction faults and design issues that, if addressed, could dramatically increase the walkability of Kuwait City.
Bader Al-Moulah
Assima and Rashayda stations
Assima and Rashayda stations in Kuwait City are not only functional transit hubs but also integrated with an elevated pedestrian walkway and park. This innovative design incorporates green spaces, providing refreshing surroundings, shaded areas, and panoramic views of the cityscape. Inspired by the sea and city walls, the park adds a touch of natural beauty, promoting walkability, and enhancing the overall aesthetics of the area.
Fatima Al-Fulaij + Qutaiba Buyabes + Yasmeen Abdaal
Kuwait’s historical architectural spaces
A film and photographs that reflect on how Kuwait’s historical architectural spaces informed a close social dynamic culture. This visual exploration will focus on souks as social spaces and how walkability played a role in creating social and spatial experiences that allowed Kuwait†to†be†a†close†knit†communityƆThe†film†captures the intimacy that is held through spatial forms that live on today that are attributed to Kuwait’s traditional architectural identity.
Maha Al-Asaker
Native Plants of Kuwait
A collection cyanotype prints that capture the neglected Sulaibikhat Bay in Kuwait, known for its ecological importance and overlooked archaeological history. The series ‘Imprints’ features sculptural artworks made from found objects imprinted with coastal flora, symbolizing the bay’s modern artifacts. The juxtaposition of ecological significance and industrial pollution raises critical questions about human interventions along Kuwait’s coastline.
Aziz Motawa
Ala Taraf Lisan Al’arth
Ala Taraf Lisan Al’arth is a visual documentation through the lens of Aziz Motawa capturing the last eight years of his treks along the Doha and Sulaibikhat coastal areas and their interwoven narratives of industry and toxicity that play out in these derelict marshy stretches of Kuwait.
Akkaz Collective
On the Stillness of Prospects: Beyond the Scattering Horizons
In this project, Akkaz Collective focuses on the Sulaibikhat and Doha coastlines of Kuwait Bay and the islands of Umm Al Namil and the now reclaimed island of Akkaz. This research-based and associated visual project retraces the coastline, unearthing its multilayered ecological, archeological, and social histories.
Mohammad Kassem
Occupying Nolli
A series of collages extracts spatial qualities from archival images of the old walled city of Kuwait, focusing on interstitial and transitional spaces. The analytical process aims to derive logics and scales for contemporary urban interventions that could occupy vacant spaces today. This process is complemented by a mapping exercise that seeks to identify new liminal and transitional spaces within Kuwait City’s existing built fabric conditions.
Dana Al-Rashid
Transformation of Transport
This artwork portrays the transitional state of Kuwait, specifically in relation to transportation. It juxtaposes various transportation methods in a timeline overlap, ranging from camels to electric cars and from magic carpets to metros. It envisions a speculative society where social classes converge and gather around the proposed tram system.
Qutaiba Buyabes + Yasmeen Abdal
Desert Architecture: Diction A Design Methodology
The Museum Campus Station in Kuwait embraces the city’s historical roots, drawing inspiration from the Maritime Museum, Museum of Modern Art, and Nahedh Mosque. It seeks to reintroduce traditional architectural and linguistic elements through a modern design approach, connecting the past with the future. By bridging the gap between history and modernity, it revives design and visual elements that were lost during the modern era.
Hamad Alkhaleefi
Kuwait City Tram Network
An aerial visualization presenting a detailed depiction of the proposed tram system in Kuwait City. It examines various station configurations, considering how they interact with the existing urban fabric and the intersectional qualities that arise as a result. The visualization aims to provide valuable insights into the design and integration of the tram system, enhancing urban mobility and connectivity.
Aliaa Mahdy + Nourah Al-Azmi + Zahra Hashim
Building on History
This initiative uses past spatial compositions to reimagine Kuwait’s urban fabric, blending past and present for a decolonized future. It proposes a flexible structure that repurposes vacant lots to enhance walkability, leading to the establishment of a tram station with the Kuwait TV Warehouses as a public hub, creating innovative architectural moments. The project aims to improve public interaction while decarbonizing Kuwait City’s future and creating a sustainable transportation system.
Abdullah Al-Busaili
Wasil
The project aims to revitalize Kuwait’s walkability by incorporating pathways from the dismantled historic city into the existing urban landscape. By reviving these lost walkways, the project seeks to breathe new life into the heart of the city and enhance the overall pedestrian experience.
Sultan Al-Samhan
AlSikkah AlKhathra
The handmade drawing explores landscape elements and the cityscape over time. Stitched together, smaller moments form a narrative between tram stations. Layers of Mylar and trace evoke memory, while some areas project into the future. Expressive strokes add rawness, and handwritten notes reveal the artist’s thoughts. The drawing offers an experiential journey through its composition.
Naser Ashour
Main Station Framework
A framework proposal is presented for the main station connecting the tram system in Kuwait City to the national metro line. The proposed station framework aims to accommodate diverse traffic flows and provide sufficient space for maintenance and parking facilities, promoting the use of trams instead of private vehicles. Additionally, the node must accommodate the proposed GCC line linking all the countries in the region.
Batool Ashour
Data Excavation Workshop Recollections of Ahmadi
The project proposes experimental urban planning by exploring and connecting recorded evidence of human civilization and settlements. Through data excavation, it considers the chronological development of historical eras as a foundation for future planning. The goal is to preserve the legacy of history and identity while allowing development based on existing historical values. Planning and development should build upon what already exists rather than erasing it.
Mohammad Kassem + Naser Ashour
National Metro Mapping
A series of maps presents a proposed metro system for Kuwait on a national scale, aiming to uncover potential connections between resource production sources and critical nodes across the country. The maps explore various node systems that seek to establish a new network connecting COOP centers to primary transportation arteries, with the goal of achieving greater equity and accessibility nationwide.
Nour Jaffar
Collage City
One of the first aerial images of Kuwait City post-1952 Master Plan clearance and construction of modern road systems is juxtaposed with the initial survey conducted of old Kuwait City’s urban fabric. These two images show the stark contrast between traditional vernacular urbanization and poorly planned urban clearance and execution of the City.
Rabab Raes Kazem
Inhabiting Heritage
The Al Sadri Hospital, once a place of healing, now stands abandoned and deteriorating. This proposal aims to resurrect the building, viewing its ruins as cultural heritage. The tram station and artist-in-residence spaces are integrated into the existing structure, using layered arches that connect the past with the present. Through adaptive reuse, the project breathes new life into forgotten architecture, preserving Kuwait’s architectural heritage and giving these objects a second chance.
Noor Abdulkhaleq
Oral History Research
Oral history captures pre-oil Kuwait City’s lived experiences, exploring transportation’s impact on the city and its inhabitants. Interviews gather personal perspectives, memories, and insights absent in official records. They preserve individual experiences, enhancing understanding of social, cultural, and economic conditions. Shedding light on pre-automobile life, these interviews offer unique, valuable insights not found in written sources.
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Sayer Al-Sayer
Planning Plots: Plotting Plans
This participatory project combines storytelling and architecture, allowing participants to create linear architectural plans based on their stories. Wooden frames and prompts guide participants through stations where they recall memories, format them into a 3-act structure, and draw locations on grids. 3D prints represent spaces and are reused by others. The project explores plot-driven architecture, symbolizing personal experiences and uncovering spatial relationships within plot types.
Learn
Want to Learn More?
Contact Us
rethinking.kuwait@gmail.com
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