On a Journey: Spanish Architecture in the Arab World

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Today is the last day of the exhibition ‘On A Journey: Spanish Architecture in the Arab World’ at the Katara Art Centre in Qatar. Sadly, KAC is itself closing its doors and this will be their last exhibition.

On A Journey: Spanish Architecture in the Arab World showcases projects displays projects by Spanish architecture companies and studios completed in Arab countries:

Organised by Casa Árabe and the Spanish Higher Council of Orders of Architects (CSCAE), the exhibition highlights the interest and necessity for co-operation among various institutions to support and promote Spanish architecture across the world. Featuring video screenings, a presentation highlighting the recurring Arab motifs in Spanish architecture, and an exhibition that offers a peek into the range of works of Spanish architect firms in Gulf countries, the event explores how the “Spain” brand has caught on abroad, and particularly in the Arab world.

 

Spanish architecture projects, such as the reconstruction of Beirut bazaars carried out by Rafael Moneo in 2009, involve something more than the “Spain” brand however.   The exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on Spanish architecture in the 21^st Century in the Arab world in light of the history of Spanish architecture as itself influenced by Arab architecture in Spain. The Ambassador of Spain to Qatar, Carmen de la Peña, made this point: “We have tried to build a link with the past. We have important Arab architecture in Spain, dating back to the 8^th Century, and this historic architecture has been an inspiration to Spanish architecture in the Arab world.”