Sketch for Syria

Architects from all over the world answered the drawing call by IUAV University in Venice, with 132 sketchbooks full of drawings and proposals for Syria reconstruction.

“Sketch for Syria” is a call to all the architects of the world to imagine, trace and share possible scenarios for the reconstruction process of Syria. The IUAV University in Venice distributed sketchbooks all over, and 132 architects from 26 nations answered.

Fernando Dowling, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016
Salma Samar Damluji, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016
Eton Leniz, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016
Paredes y Pedrosa, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016
Sean Godsell, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016
Maya Ghannoum, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016
Cherubino Gambardella, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016

  Of the 132 sketchbooks, 52 came directly from Syrian cities: Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus showing their peaceful strength of architecture. Many architects have left a mark: retracing past or imaginary travels, tracing hypothesis about the future, thinking about the drama of refugees and migrants, choosing artistic provocation, transforming their pencils in peaceful weapons.

Beals and Lyon, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016

With this initiative, launched in July 2016, the IUAV confirms its ethic commitment, following other efforts in favour of Syria: the Tribute of Venice to Palmyra, dedicated to the archaeologist Khaled Al Asaad; the “Urbicide Syria/Postwar Reconstruction” conference with the most important international experts of architecture, art and archaeology in Syria; the drafting and sharing of the Venice Charter on Reconstruction; and the agreement signed on July 14th with UN-ESCWA, the UN Agency in charge of drafting the agenda for the reconstruction of Syria.

Bolles+Wilson, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016

The positive value of the initiative is the consciousness about the real meaning of the reconstruction process: the ability to imagine a possible future in the rubble of the war. The exhibition is curated by Jacopo Galli with Luna Rajab, and set up by Marco Ballarin and Jacopo Galli.

Alvaro Siza, Sketch for Syria call for drawings, IUAV Venice 2016


from 17 January to 24 February 2017
Sketch for Syria
curated by Jacopo Galli with Luna Rajab
Università Iuav
Tolentini building, Rectorate’s gallery
Santa Croce 191, Venice