Peace Place – Rebuilding Aleppo Through Healing Architecture

Conflict ruptures cities—but it also fractures communities, memories, and the shared rituals that once held people together. In the historic heart of Aleppo, a deeply symbolic project titled Peace Place reimagines how post-war architecture can restore trust, revive cultural memory, and create spaces where understanding replaces separation. Designed by Alina Malih, the project proposes more than a building; it envisions an urban landscape of exchange, learning, and collective renewal.

This proposal positions architecture not as a monument to loss, but as a catalyst for coexistence—where residents, visitors, and displaced populations can gather, learn, and rebuild both emotionally and socially.

About the Project: A Space for Union in a Fragmented City

War separates people—neighbors, families, entire communities. For centuries Aleppo was a mosaic of cultures living in close proximity. The project acknowledges the trauma of division and responds by designing inviting spaces for dialogue, shared activities, and reconnection.

The chosen site sits in front of the iconic Citadel of Aleppo, a location of immense historical weight. The Old City’s dense texture of courtyards inspired the project’s strategy: a sequence of voids and spatial pockets that blur the boundary between above-ground and underground life.

Lowering the Center into the Ground

The core of the project is placed below the surface, creating protected yet open courtyards that accommodate a diverse Syrian landscape—desert, water, greenery, and stone. These elements reference the symbolic layers of Syrian identity.

The lowered center becomes:

• A sunken plaza for gatherings and markets
• A vantage point offering clear views of the Citadel
• A sanctuary-like environment insulated from the city's noise and trauma

This gesture transforms emptiness into potential, stitching new life into the city’s urban scars.

A Library as the Heart of the City

At the center of the complex lies a vast, multi-level library—its arches, staircases, and platforms lined with books. It is simultaneously:

• A museum of local history
• A refuge for learning
• A quiet retreat for contemplation
• A symbolic container of shared knowledge

Even the spiral stairwell, inspired by the Citadel’s ancient well, becomes an architectural bookshelf—turning movement itself into a narrative act.

By embedding learning in every corner, the project upholds literature, memory, and knowledge as tools of reconciliation.

Masterplan and Functional Strategy

The project integrates various public programs distributed across interconnected layers.

Key Functions

1. Water group – symbolizing purification and continuity
2. Administrative zone – enabling civic operations
3. Classrooms – encouraging educational exchange
4. Library – the heart of the complex
5. Café – a social anchor
6. Museum – preserving Aleppo’s archaeological memory
7. Restoration workshops – safeguarding craftsmanship traditions
8. Refugee center – offering support and assistance
9. Volunteer training center – nurturing civic engagement

Each space has been carefully positioned to promote fluid movement and spontaneous social connection.

Exchange as the Core Architectural Philosophy

The project’s conceptual foundation is exchange—the process through which individuals and communities rebuild trust. Peace Place hosts multiple forms of exchange:

Knowledge Sharing

Classrooms, meeting halls, and the central library enable learning and cultural dialogue.

Exchange of Memory

Archaeological remnants discovered during construction are preserved and exhibited, tying the present to lost histories.

Landscape Exchange

Each courtyard mirrors a different Syrian landscape, encouraging visitors to understand cultural diversity through spatial experience.

Skill Exchange

Craft workshops teach restoration, archaeology, and traditional arts, passing knowledge between generations.

Exchange of Ideas

Open platforms—the meydan, discussion rooms, and performance spaces—invite debate, storytelling, and creative exploration.

Humanitarian Exchange

The refugee center facilitates shared experiences of healing and care, strengthening bonds through empathy.

Marketplace Exchange

A simple yet essential part of community life, the market supports economic sustainability.

This layered approach transforms the center into an active organism—constantly learning, responding, and supporting its people.

Architectural Expression: Layers, Courtyards, and Urban Memory

The visual language of the project draws from Aleppo’s architectural DNA:

• rhythmic arches
• subterranean chambers
• mosque courtyards
• thick masonry surfaces
• floating platforms and shaded walkways

Large-scale axonometric diagrams reveal a meticulous layering of volumes. The descending sections uncover a progression from open public areas to intimate reading rooms—echoing the emotional descent from conflict toward healing.

The design’s geometric logic references an inverted minaret—a profound symbol suggesting the turning over of past trauma to build new meaning.

Urban Impact: Sewing the Fabric of Life

Peace Place does more than fill a site—it restitches the urban fabric. Its soft, gradual influence extends outward, transforming mistrust into collaboration.

Residents of Aleppo can:

• walk its courtyards
• rest in its shaded passages
• study in its library
• exchange knowledge
• find support
• participate in communal activities

The project becomes a living classroom where architecture teaches coexistence.

A Vision for Post-War Renewal

The Peace Place project by Alina Malih illustrates how post-war architecture can serve humanity beyond physical reconstruction. By weaving together memory, landscape, knowledge, and compassion, the project stands as a hopeful model for rebuilding cities through culture and community.

Its message is clear:Architecture can be a vessel of peace—when it listens, adapts, and invites people back into dialogue.