Arab Modern: Architecture and the Project of Independence

by Nadi Abusaada (Editor), Wesam Al Asali (Editor), George Arbid (Foreword)

The Arab world’s modern built environment was shaped largely during a period when several Arab countries were on the cusp of gaining independence from colonial rule. Contributions in this volume present Arab modern architecture based on previously overlooked figures, narratives, and experiences. Projects from North Africa, the Levant, and the Arabian Gulf show critical moments of postcolonial nation-building. The travel of ideas and figures from within and outside the architectural profession – including craftspeople, bureaucrats, and residents – demonstrates the multifaceted international and regional exchanges underpinning architectural creations and imaginaries in the wake of independence.

208 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 2025

Reviews

[S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might come back later with a more architecturally audited take—but for now: this book? Mostly a well-drawn plan that actually gets built. The chapters are tightly curated and align neatly with the authors’ independence-era ambitions… minus two slight structural misfits. One feels like it wandered in from another site altogether, and the other just needed a better framing device to sit comfortably in the scheme.

That said, the rest of the contributions span the SWANA region with a richness that kept me fully hooked—no abandoned readings here. And a special nod to George Arbid’s foreword, which doesn’t just introduce the book, it grounds it.