"....A phenomenon, that of Orientalism, that went beyond the Middle East's borders to absorb the influences of the far east of the world, as in the cases of "Chinoiserie" or "Japonism". Perhaps, we could define this cultural contamination as a formal proto-globalization applied to architecture without sophisticated spatial hybridizations of the more recent critical regionalism as theorized by Kenneth Frampton."
Is there a contemporary Islamic "style"? What are its main characteristics? Can you elaborate on what you think should be the architectural language of the Arab world today?
These are just a few of the questions I asked two protagonists of the Arabian Peninsula's contemporary architecture: Brian Johnson and Wael Al Masri. I am really grateful for their interest and passionate contribution. The full interview will be published in the next issue of Compasses Architecture & Design.
