[A Cultural Hub, A Global Heritage Site]

In the large scale, the vision of this project is to promote the rebirth of Aleppo’s city center as a global heritage site. The site is located at the foot of the Citadel that embodies the heritage and identity of Aleppo. The area holds a huge potential to act as a vibrant cultural hub on a regional level. The city’s identity is forged by the overlapping layers of many different rich cultures that over the course of time has led to the creation of a rich urban space. Defying the physical boundaries, Aleppo can reach international exposure with its heritage. In the longer run and after the reconstruction of the city, the plaza and the cultural center, together with the Citadel, the Souk and the historical monuments, will reshape the heart of Aleppo and its public spaces into a cultural gathering zone not only for the tourists but for the people of Aleppo.

The war in Aleppo has created a temporal gap and divided the time into two parts of “before” and “after” the war. To join these pieces there will be a need to create a “Space-Time” that serves as a transcultural spatial-temporal actor of change. The concept of Space-Time which is an interpretation of the Japanese Shinto Zen Buddhist concept of “Ma”, is introduced in architecture by Arata Isozaki and has been discussed in various art and cultural contexts. “Ma” refers to the gap/void between things, people and events through which these connect and build interrelations.

Above the ground level the project is a palm grove/plaza which forms a public urban space connecting with the pedestrian zones, the Citadel perimeter, the Souk and the historical monuments. The plaza will be the confluence of large-scale social gatherings in front of the Citadel. In the center of the plaza the “Mirror Courtyard” is designed as a memorial space to honor the memory of lost lives in the war. Under the ground level the project is a cultural center that incorporates art galleries, cinemas, a theater, children’s activity zone, a library, cultural shops, cafés, etc., forming a vibrant and active multifunctional space. The key idea is to create a place that belongs to everyone; to create a public space that re-gathers people from different social groups and forms a platform for “coexistence”. Also, we believe that the historical city center of Aleppo can be revitalized through a cultural approach. In a larger scale our project has the potential to act as a cultural hub that together with the Citadel, the Souk, the historical monuments and the open spaces will reinvigorate the city center.

[Co-Existence]

The project proposes the reshaping of one of the important sites of the city center of Aleppo into a plaza that re-gathers people for social and cultural interactions. The design concept is an urban void that shapes a transitional space where visitors can experience the continuity of time, from the past into the future.

[The Transition, The Timelessness]

The proposed design forms an urban plaza and a cultural center that gathers various social groups. An urban void full of potentials for people to create relations, build new collective memories and make place. The geometry of design has a connection with the geometry of the Grand Serai building, previously located in the site. The void space of the old courtyard has formed the memorial space, and the main entrance is along the axis of the garden. The Mirror Wall has an internal and external function: The outside reflects the ever-changing city, the Citadel and the dynamism of the vibrant public space. Over time it will reflect the process of reconstruction of the city and the movement from destruction to development and prosperity. The inside reflects the boundlessness of an unchanging space. This silent and meditative courtyard is “a timeless space” that encapsulates the memory of war. On the inside walls the names of more than 30,000 victims of Aleppo war will be engraved.

[The Fragility of Peace]

The city of Aleppo has witnessed many cycles of destruction and reconstruction throughout history. Over the time it’s been the scene of conflict, war, and crisis and each time it has passed through towards a richer future. The proposed architecture tries to stress the importance of remembering that the peace is fragile in its essence and needs to be protected and cared for to survive. The Mirror Wall – constantly reflecting the image of the city and its people – illustrates the dynamism and the movement of the city which can be from war to peace and from destruction to prosperity or vice versa. At the same time the fragility of the mirror is a reminder of the delicacy of peace and invites the people to attend in its conservation. The portrait of the project overall represents nothing but people in a palm grove, which symbolically acknowledges the fact that although the city and the architecture might be ruined and reconstructed repeatedly, ultimately, it’s the reflection of how the people coexist with each other and their environment that builds the image and the identity of the city.

**Urban Scale ** The project reshapes one of the important sites of Aleppo city center into a public plaza, connecting with pedestrian zones, the Citadel, the Souk, and other historical monuments. It acts as a cultural hub at a regional scale, revitalizing the city center and linking multiple historical layers. **Human Scale ** The plaza and “Mirror Courtyard” are designed for large social gatherings while remaining accessible and intimate for individuals and small groups. The ground-level palm grove/plaza is intended to allow people to reclaim civic space and experience coexistence. **Functional/Operational Scale ** Underground cultural center includes art galleries, cinemas, theater, children’s activity zones, library, cultural shops, cafés, forming a multifunctional space that supports diverse cultural activities. The “Mirror Wall” has both external and internal scales: it interacts with the city scale outside and creates a meditative, timeless interior scale for remembrance. **Temporal Scale ** The design bridges the temporal void caused by war, linking past, present, and future through the concept of “urban void” and “space-time”. It allows continuity of memory and social interaction across generations.