INTERVIEW WITH TARIK FROM T.ZED ARCHITECTS
Tarik
Al Zaharna
Palestinian architect · raised in Luxembourg · Bartlett School, UCL · based in Dubai
He is building a new language for regional architecture, one that gives craft, materiality and context the time and attention they deserve. A young pioneer of the Middle East design scene.
Tarik Al Zaharna is an architect of Palestinian origin who grew up in Luxembourg before moving to establish T.ZED Architects in Dubai. A graduate of the Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL, he has worked at practices across Europe and the United States, including Urban A&O in New York and Bolles + Wilson in Germany, and is now fully established in the Middle East, where he is invited internationally as a critic.
Filling a void in regional, contemporary architecture.
“T.ZED Architects is the second practice I have founded in the region, after discovering that there is a void in the development of regional, contemporary architecture. My work experience across Europe, North America and the Middle East has honed my abilities to tackle such a complex matter.”
“Quickly, the practice’s research-driven objective developed into trying to evolve regional architecture and design by giving craft methods, materiality and context the time and attention they deserve. We certainly do not have the answers yet, but we are working on it. With projects like KOA Canvas, I hope to let the work speak for itself, without playing into the PR hype too much. We have dabbled in that, and it is not really for us.”
“Give craft, materiality and context the time and attention they deserve.”
Zumthor, Niemeyer, and the colour of Josef Albers.
“The list can go on, but I would put Peter Zumthor and Oscar Niemeyer at the top of it. Visionary architects who operated very successfully at different scales, through the approach and execution of their work. Alberto Kalach and Marcio Kogan are also role models, with their contextual, craft-driven architecture. And during my time in Germany, I discovered the artist Josef Albers, and have been fascinated by his work ever since.”
A museum. And KOA Canvas.
“The dream project would be to design a museum: a public building with a solid but visionary programme, a strong strategy on legacy and the needs of end-users, and an inevitably important role to play in shaping the built environment. Mixed-use projects always inspire and challenge the way we think.”
“That said, T.ZED Architects is currently working on a dream project, KOA Canvas. It is a mixed-use programme of commercial, private, residential and hospitality components, for a very visionary client in Dubai with a forward-thinking approach to materiality and sustainability. This is something that has not been delivered before in the region, or globally. Believe me, this one is making it difficult to be excited about any other project for the time being.”
Craftsmanship, and the idea of making.
The practice places craftsmanship and the idea of making at the heart of how it works, at a time when attention to detail is too often viewed as dated. T.ZED is interested in the minute joinery and masonry details, and equally in the ripple effect they have at the scale of the city. The design palette is one of cultural, contextual, social and economic habits, and of the moments and transitions of space that create a series of subtle experiences in architecture.
Give him the criticism.
“We get compliments on our details and choice of materials, and I love hearing how our spaces make people feel. But what I revel in is criticism, constructive or otherwise, because from the right people it comes from extensive experience, and we are always looking to learn and grow. Crazy. It won’t work. It has never been done before. Yes. Those are the right triggers to get us going.”
Time, patience, and the fight for detail.
“The challenge is communicating to clients that time and patience will save them money and offer a better result in the long run. I lose sleep sometimes over how some of our details have been executed. No lie. Especially when we see counterparts elsewhere in the world achieving levels of execution that should be deemed standard. It frustrates me. Why can we not catch up already with being more attentive to detail and craft? And then there is the final obstacle: maintaining the architectural and design vision of the firm while making solid, sustainable business decisions.”
A quiet plea for print.
“I have a love-hate relationship with social media, and I am still trying to find my place in it. Print media needs a rebirth. It would be such a regret to lose the massively underrated time it takes to flick through a publication, read, and leave room for imagination. I browse a lot of architecture and design websites, but my homepage is set to bbc.co.uk, because it makes me feel like an adult.”
“People should care more about what they do. It goes a long way.”
Tarik’s work has been featured in AD Middle East: A Look Inside Chef Izu Ani’s Japanese-Inspired Home in Dubai →
Antakly Projects, originally Ninu Nina, has been in conversation with the most inspiring voices in art, photography, design and culture since 2003. Interview by Leila Antakly. Tarik Al Zaharna builds place with patience, and cares about every joint.
All works © T.ZED Architects. Thank you to Tarik for the conversation.
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