The Beauty of Impermanence

The future requires a shift from a consumer-oriented approach to an ecologically and ethically responsible one in architecture, urban design, and business. This book explores architectural responses to sustainability, resource scarcity, and adaptability presented at the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial.

The Beauty of Impermanence is a scholarly documentation of the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial. It explores architectural responses to sustainability, resource scarcity, and adaptability, highlighting the contrasting resource management strategies of the global North and South over the last four hundred years. The North exploited resources through a belief in endless abundance and technological advances, underpinned by religious and mythological justifications for colonialism and slavery. The South, characterized by resource scarcity, has innovated within these constraints, developing adaptable, sustainable solutions that may offer a blueprint for future global resource management.

The book advocates for a shift away from a consumption-driven approach to one that is ecologically and ethically responsible, urging a collective resolve to create systemic change for a sustainable future. It is structured around the thematic strands of Renewed Contextual, Extraction Politics, and Intangible Bodies and features essays by noted scholars and practitioners. Detailed project spreads from Triennial participants, showcasing innovative practices that integrate environmentally friendly methods and materials, round off this volume that serves as a vital resource for those engaged in the fields of architecture, sustainability, and urban planning.

• A scholarly documentation of the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial
• Explores architectural responses to sustainability, resource scarcity, and adaptability
• Highlights the contrasting resource management strategies of the Global North and South over the last 400 years

• Features essays by noted international scholars and practitioners such as Yasmeen Lari, Aziza Chaouni, Abdoumaliq Simone, Paola Antonelli, Kathryn Yusoff, and Wale Lawal

  Autorentext

  Tosin Oshinowois an architect, creative entrepreneur, public speaker, and author based in Lagos, where she runs her own design consultancy firm CmDesign Atelier. She was the curator of the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial.

Matthew Magangais a Tanzanian curator, writer, and researcher based between London and Dar es Salaam. He was a Curatorial Assistant at the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial.