By Houda Mziodet.
Tripoli, 26 May 2014:
The Libyan Board of Architecture (LBA) took part in Libya Build this year, with a presentation . . .[restrict]on the work of the association since its inception in 2011. The group also highlighted its partnerships with the Italians and Poles in the areas of building restoration and the preservation of heritage and identity in Libyan cities.
Hisham Al-Ghadi, a Libyan architect and vice-chairman of the LBA, said that the whole sector had to reorganise to conform to the needs of post-revolution Libya.
“It is important to separate architecture from engineering; they are different fields,” he explained. He went on to insist that the role of the architect was marginalised under the previous regime for the benefit of the engineer and that attention must also be given to interior design and other architectural components of a building.
The LBA recently got a boost after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). It has also gained the support of the Ministry of Tourism, which is now member of the board.
Al-Ghadi said that the LBA has benefited greatly from the experience and expertise in the conservation and care of old buildings of the Project of Poland Cares, which works to protect and maintain Polish monuments and the Italian National Council for Architects, Planners, Landscapers and Curators. Italy heavily influenced colonial Libyan architecture.
The LBA, headquartered in Tripoli, has grown to over 400 members across Libya and plans to open branches in other cities.
It recently opened a centre in the capital offering weekly lectures and courses. [/restrict]
