Ibraaz Art Space by Counterspace — A Living Architecture of Gathering, Culture, and Belonging

A Living Framework of Culture and Connection

The Ibraaz Art Space, designed by the globally renowned architecture studio Counterspace led by Sumayya Vally, redefines the boundaries of cultural architecture in London. Conceived as an evolving art and cultural space, Ibraaz is more than a physical structure—it’s a living, breathing architecture shaped by community, dialogue, and time.

Vally’s design approach moves beyond static form, creating a spatial choreography that unfolds through ritual, exchange, and gathering. Every room, corridor, and hall serves as an open invitation for people to engage, learn, and create together—transforming architecture into an experience of belonging.

Concept: The Architecture of Gathering

Sumayya Vally describes Ibraaz as a “gathering of gatherings”, reflecting a design philosophy that blends home, culture, and collective memory. The architecture draws inspiration from traditional typologies found across North Africa and the Arab world — the Majlis (assembly), Oula (kitchen), Maktaba (library), and Minassa (platform).

Each of these spaces represents a form of communal life, where art and conversation coexist. This evolving composition allows Ibraaz to expand organically—layer by layer, like a living city rather than a static building. The design invites people to participate in the act of making, ensuring that the community itself writes the story of the building.

Design and Materiality

The project embraces incremental growth, mirroring the fluidity of human connection and cultural exchange. Materials like wood, glass, and reflective surfaces amplify light and openness, echoing Counterspace’s philosophy of architecture as conversation.

At street level, the Oula (café) and Maktaba (bookshop) open the building to the public, symbolizing transparency and dialogue. Inside, the Majlis functions as a flexible exhibition and assembly hall, while the Minassa on the lower floor transforms into a theater for performances and screenings. The Iqra library on the upper floor offers a sanctuary for reflection and study — tying all functions into one cohesive ecosystem of creativity.

The layered use of 3D-printed textures, shelving systems, and warm wooden tones establishes a tactile connection between the building and its visitors. The atmosphere feels both domestic and monumental — a balance between heritage and innovation.

Cultural Context and Collaboration

Building on Vally’s acclaimed Serpentine Pavilion (2021), which explored London’s diasporic gathering spaces, Ibraaz continues her research into the architectures of belonging. The project connects London to Tunisia — the foundation’s homeland — while collaborating with artisans and designers across Beirut, Bethlehem, and Johannesburg.

This cross-geographical dialogue celebrates shared memory and craftsmanship, emphasizing pan-African and Arab design languages. The result is a cultural hub that bridges continents while nurturing local communities.

Time, Memory, and Sedimentation

Curator Shumon Basar describes the project as a “transhistorical dialogue” between Counterspace’s modern sensibility and the Grade II-listed neo-classical architecture of the site. Rather than erasing history, the design builds upon it—layering fragments of the past with new stories and futures.

The transformation of the ballroom into the Majlis exemplifies this: once a colonial-era space, it now embodies African and Arab narratives, hosting Ibrahim Mahama’s Parliament of Ghosts and other works that reclaim history through art.

The architectural evolution is deliberately visible, inviting visitors to experience the process of change — an unfolding architecture of time and participation.

 Architecture as a Living Practice

Ibraaz Art Space by Counterspace is not merely a building; it is an act of cultural resistance and renewal. Through its typologies of gathering, it creates an architectural language that feels intimate, inclusive, and alive.

Sumayya Vally’s vision of a living framework—a home for dialogue, ritual, and community—turns Ibraaz into a symbol of contemporary cultural belonging, rooted in history yet constantly reinventing itself.

  All the photographs are works of Vipul Sangoi, Hugo Glendinning