←
Yasmeen Abdal
Architectural Narratives → A Brutalist Taxonomy
Pratt Institute
CNC milled MDF panels (11x17”)
12 Pieces
Arab Brutalism in Kuwait reflects layered narratives of national ambition, geopolitics, and cultural identity. In the decades following independence, Kuwait embraced global modernism while cultivating Arab collaboration, giving rise to a hybrid architectural language.
This is a story of how form, architecture, and urban planning became tools to construct—and solidify—the image of a modern sovereign state. Kuwait’s adoption of international architectural trends signaled its ambition to be recognized as progressive and cosmopolitan. The embrace of local designers created a framework for regional, collaborative knowledge exchange, ultimately shaping an architectural language that was both modernist and rooted in Arab identity. The emergence of Arab architectural firms, alongside an influx of Arab experts into Kuwait, fostered a distinctive exchange and transfer of knowledge. The result was a modernist architectural vocabulary deeply rooted in Arab identity—one that bridged tradition and experimentation.
Through abstracted taxonomies of Brutalist forms, this project explores how Arab Brutalism communicates identity, bridging tradition, experimentation, and the image of a sovereign state. Research was translated into a series of twelve CNC-milled MDF panels, each one distilling architectural forms into geometric reliefs. The panels function as both an archive and a reinterpretation—turning buildings into a visual and material taxonomy of Arab modernism.
Personal Responsibilities