The Reconstruction of Aleppo

Abstract

Human history is marked by a dramatic dialectic of “destruction” and “reconstruction”, the record of which has itself often been lost. Yet memories of tragic destructions and often heroic reconstructions remain ingrained in the history, archaeology, and myths of all civilizations. Whereas the predominant contemporary ideology of architecture seems to prefer “deconstruction” and the consecration of an imagery of fragmentation and desolation, the Reconstruction of Aleppo project proposes a traditional strategy of material and moral reconstruction. Such reconstruction seeks not only to repair and recompose the form and meaning of homes and places but also to allow for reconciliation and healing, as well as confidence and identity.