Special LectureLiving Heritage: Reinterpreting Gulf Vernacular Architecture in the Majlis & Manama Pavilion

[Special Lecture Announcement]
On December 15, the designers Ahmed & Rashid bin Shabib—who created the UAE’s special pavilion The Majlis & Manama Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale and are also well-known cultural influencers in the Gulf region—will visit Japan to give a special lecture at the University of Tokyo’s Kuma Hall. They will discuss the cultural and climatic background and value of the pavilion, as well as current design trends in the increasingly prominent Gulf region.

This lecture will be open to the public, so please feel free to invite external guests to join.

Date: December 15 (Mon), 18:00–
Venue: University of Tokyo, Hongo Campus, Engineering Bldg. 11, 1st Floor, Kuma Hall
Format: In English, on-site only
Lecture Title: Living Heritage: Reinterpreting Gulf Vernacular Architecture in the Majlis & Manama Pavilion

Contact: Toyoda Laboratory
(https://www.commonground.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/contact
)

This lecture examines how Gulf vernacular architecture can be meaningfully reinterpreted for contemporary cultural and environmental contexts, using The Majlis & The Manama (Wind Catchers) Pavilion, designed by Ahmed and Rashid bin Shabib for the Venice Architecture Biennale, as a central case study. The project revives two historically significant spatial typologies from the Arabian Peninsula: the majlis, a social gathering space rooted in hospitality and dialogue, and the manama, an elevated timber sleeping structure designed for passive night-time cooling.
Through this pavilion, we reintroduce the climatic intelligence embedded in Gulf heritage, porous timber construction, elevated platforms, natural ventilation, and carefully oriented apertures that work with wind patterns rather than against them. The lecture will explore how these strategies transform the pavilion into a living, breathing structure that adapts to heat, airflow, and human activity without reliance on mechanical systems.

More broadly, the talk positions the pavilion as a contemporary reinterpretation of cultural memory. Rather than treating vernacular forms as static artifacts, the project activates them as adaptable frameworks capable of addressing present-day challenges such as extreme heat, sustainability, and the need for inclusive public space. By inviting visitors to gather, rest, and exchange ideas, the pavilion reaffirms the majlis as a civic device,one that can operate globally while remaining deeply rooted in regional identity.

The lecture ultimately argues that heritage architecture offers more than nostalgia: it provides a resilient, climate-responsive design language that can shape future urban environments. By bridging tradition and innovation, the Majlis & Manama Pavilion demonstrates how “living heritage” can guide sustainable architecture in an era of environmental urgency.