Architecture
All topics-
Cultural policy and architecture in Iran
Far from an Islamist Utopia
The Islamist hardliners in Iran see themselves as a bulwark against the cultural influence of the West; their goal is to create an authentically Islamic culture. But what does that mean for things like architecture? Aesthetic observations by Ulrich von Schwerin in Iran
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The Barenboim-Said Academy
Barenboim′s 'new medicine'
The conductor Daniel Barenboim has been bringing musicians from Israel and Arab countries together for many years. Due to open in the autumn, his academy in Berlin will allow them to develop their musical skills – as well as some new initiatives for peace. Interview by Gero Schliess
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Lebanon′s architectural heritage
A race against time
Old Beirut is slowly dying. Remnants of the Lebanese capital′s architectural heritage have survived two world wars, fifteen years of civil war, the 2006 Summer War, as well as hundreds of car bombings, suicide attacks and assassinations. Yet now, writes Changiz Varzi, there′s a new, inexorable threat: real estate development
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Palmyra post-IS
A pawn in Assad's game
For Palmyra, Assad is just as bad as IS. Completely rebuilding Palmyra's destroyed cultural treasures would turn it into a kind of Disneyland, says archaeologist Annie Sartre-Fauriat. Interview by Sabine Oelze
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Urban appropriation in Jerusalem
Mamilla and the Tower of David
The Jerusalem district of Mamilla, located between West Jerusalem and the Old City, is an outstanding example of how urban planning decisions alter the public space and create a new visual reality with great political resonance. Felix Koltermann took a look around
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Reconstruction of Aleppo
″Others destroy and we rebuild″
The battle-torn city of Aleppo lies in ruins. Nonetheless, former residents of the city and experts located in Budapest are already working towards the reconstruction of the 5000 year old metropolis. By Iris Mostegel
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Anti-construction protests in Turkey
″Reclaim Istanbul!″ – policy vs. architecture
Turkey′s construction industry is booming. As a key pillar of the nation's economy, President Erdogan's ambitious goal is to ensure it catapults Turkey into the world's top ten economies by 2023. But the AKP's ″urban transformation project″ has many downsides. By Ceyda Nurtsch