Damascus-SANA
Damascus Governorate announced today the selection of the two best urban designs for the space surrounding Bab Touma Square in Old Damascus, from the designs participating in the Creative Space Initiative competition organized by the governorate in cooperation with the Faculties of Architecture and Fine Arts at Damascus University and the British Syrian Society.
The competition, announced by the governorate in mid-March, aims to enhance the aesthetic reality of the square while preserving its architectural identity and its archaeological, historical and cultural landmarks.
The Governor of Damascus, Engineer Adel Al-Olabi, indicated in a press statement that he won first place for the competition, two designs that fulfilled the required conditions, the most important of which is the strengthening of the relationship between inside and outside the old city, strengthening the link between residents, occupants and visitors, and between this historical place, looking at heritage in all its forms, and using art as a creative means.
For her part, the doctor at the Faculty of Architecture at Damascus University, Natalia Atfa, a member of the jury in
A statement to SANA that the number of teams that submitted designs for the competition amounted to 16 teams, and according to the conditions set, designs were selected for 12 teams, then 6 teams, followed by the selection of the best 3 designs, two of them winning the competition, explaining that the governorate will work on converting the two winning designs into a detailed study to integrate them with a project to rehabilitate the axis Bab Touma Al Qishla, which was previously studied for its implementation.
The opinion of residents and visitors regarding the competition was surveyed by the Directorate of the Old City of Damascus and the Syrian Trust for Development, and their proposals were taken to reach a participatory design that highlights the aesthetic of the square, according to what the Director of the Directorate of the Old City of Damascus, Eng. Civic and fine arts.
The winners of the competition emphasized its importance in terms of developing their expertise, refining their skills, and employing what they learned in their university studies. The two engineers, Grace Salmon and Yara Amayri, pointed out that they took into account the peculiarity of Bab Touma Square in terms of the ancient and modern urban fabric and the requirements of the place to reach the appropriate and final design.
While the engineers Amer Al-Bazna and Maher Jallhoum confirmed that, through their design, they preserved the identity of the place and the requirements of the present, and put aesthetic touches on the space in the square, taking into account the needs of the residents of the old city, noting that any project must meet the requirements of the local community and be accepted by it.
Firas Safi
