The Cyrene Declaration An Overview - Dezeen

MedinaRestoration and Rejuvenation1. Site location2 and 3. Bringing backvibrant young society4. Spatial analysisby Intelligent SpacePartnership Ltd. showingareas of most pedestrianmovement in red5. Connection towaterfront6. Medina as it could be1Our scheme will transform Tripoli’s historicmedina into a vibrant city district. Likethe most successful Mediterraneancities, the medina will be a symbiosisof old and new parts: combiningthe conservation of traditions withcontemporary working and living; thehistoric fabric with modern technology.Tightly packed and easily accessibleTripoli’s urban structure mixes working,living, and leisure in the dense city grid;the medina has strong foundations forsuccessful urban living already in place.Even in its current degraded state; ithas the charm of other Mediterraneanand North African old city centres.Our scheme will reinforce the urbancharacter and charm of the medina bycarefully integrating new buildings whileemphasising the tight grain of the districtand the rich mix of uses in the medina,allowing it to flourish as Tripoli’s urbancentre. A visitor centre, museums andgalleries sitting in amongst the living city,will showcase the country’s rich historyand dynamic present for tourists andLibyans alike.The social agenda must be a key driverin the scheme and the cultural relevanceof individual neighbourhood elementsmust be an important consideration in theregeneration of Tripoli’s historic quarters.The Old Walled City must preserve itsheritage and carefully assess landmarks,vernacular architecture, and less tangiblehistories of an old Tripoli in parallel toredeveloping the historic medina whilestrengthening connections with the widercity. Tripoli’s Walled City is an exemplarpiece of sustainable urban planningin Libya –highly dense yet conceivedof at human scale, the reinvigoratedmedina should inspire and inform futuredevelopments in the country.The Prince’s School of TraditionalArts (PSTA) in partnership with theLibyan Heritage Foundation (LHF) areestablishing a school of traditional arts inthe old city of Tripoli to strengthen youngLibyans practice and understandingof the principles of traditional Islamicart and design, to support the livinglocal handicrafts and revive forgottenones as well as contribute towards theregeneration of the urban environmentin the old city.Building on the experience of PSTA’sVisual Islamic and Traditional ArtsProgramme in London as well as theiroutreach projects in Jordan, SaudiArabia and Cairo, the PSTA willestablish a local school and developan education programme.Through its three-year educationprogramme, young Libyans will beempowered to participate in the processof regenerating the old city of Tripoli byenabling them to acquire theoretical,technical and vocational skills.At the school the universal principlesof the great traditions of the world willbe taught as a basis for understandingthe language of traditional art andarchitecture as well as its applicationin the local context.The school’s courses will be basedon the living handicrafts and materialsused in the Old City. Courses will includeclasses on woodwork, ceramics, gypsumcarving, glass and tiles, as well as coursesin geometry, biomorphic design and theprinciples and concepts of sacred andtraditional arts.Image 2 © Maria Teijeiro/Getty Images; image 3 © Pankaj & Insy Shah/ Getty Images2345658 59