2018

 Research Project: Aleppo Soap

Location: Cambridge, UK

Collaborations: Sofia Singler

"Longing is the specialty of memory in beautifying what was hidden in the scene, fixing a window that had fallen off without ever having hit the street."

Mahmoud Darwish

This is a window from Khan al-Wazir in Aleppo, Syria. But rather than ashlar and quarry stones, it is built out of another local material: Aleppo soap.

Masonry architecture is attached to connotations of endurance, resilience, and strength. The heaviness and solidity of stone imply timelessness and a sense of rooted belonging. Soap, however, disintegrates unlike traditional masonry; it appears solid, but is vulnerable and fragile, for its chips and washes away. The constant threat of melting away speaks of the fragility of built heritage, cultural riches, and human life itself in times of crisis.

Our window took part in the 2018 Architecture Exhibition at the University of Westminster