CRUNCH: Works from Bahrain

In this lecture, Noura Al Sayeh and Anne Holtrop reflect on their work at the intersection of conservation, cultural heritage and contemporary design in Bahrain. During their decade of practice, they have worked on culturally significant projects including the award-winning Pearling Path UNESCO World Heritage site and the 35 Green Corner Building in Muharraq, showcasing how architectural interventions can bridge historical preservation with contemporary design. 

Drawing from their extensive experience in cultural programming and urban rehabilitation, they will discuss approaches to heritage conservation that respect both tradition and innovation. 

This event is part of the flagship CRUNCH Series at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. 

Please note this event is first-come, first-served and is limited capacity. Doors close at 18:40. 

Speaker biographies

Noura Al-Sayeh Holtrop is an architect and curator currently advising the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities on cultural and heritage policies as well as urban rehabilitation strategies. She has built several temporary and permanent architectural installations and was the co-curator of Reclaim, Bahrain's first participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2010 that was awarded a Golden Lion. Since 2015, she has headed the Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy UNESCO World Heritage project, which received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2019. She is a board member of the Palestinian Museum. 

Anne Holtrop Studio Anne Holtrop was established in Amsterdam in 2009, expanding to Muharraq in 2014. The studio, which now employs 20 collaborators, has completed several significant projects including Museum Fort Vechten (part of the largest UNESCO World Heritage site in the Netherlands) and the National Pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain for Milan Expo 2015. 

Recent projects include the Green Corner Building in Muharraq and the Siyadi Pearl Museum, which forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage site The Pearling Path. The studio has also designed flagship stores worldwide for Maison Margiela in London, Paris, Osaka and Shanghai, and is currently constructing the new Misk Art Institute in Riyadh. 

The studio's work, alongside Holtrop's teaching and research as Professor at ETH Zurich, has been presented and collected internationally at institutions including the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, Seoul Architecture Biennial, Frac Le Plateau, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennial, Carnegie Museum of Art and Qatar Museums. 

Murray Fraser is Professor of Architecture and Global Culture at The Bartlett School of Architecture and Vice-Dean of Research for The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment. He has published extensively on design, architectural history and theory, urbanism, post-colonialism and cultural studies. 

More information

Image: Credited to Studio Anne Holtrop.