New Traditional Architecture in Sidi Bou Said: Continuation of a Legacy

Abstract

Over my career I have carried out a large number of projects in Sidi Bou Said, an iconic site of traditional Tunisian architecture. Its geographic location has given rise to an ensemble characterized by the influence of various Mediterranean cultures, such as Italian, Andalusi, or Egyptian. The village’s architecture is distinguished for its harmonious integration with the landscape and an urban design providing for both the private and public lives of its inhabitants. In each of the projects I have done here since the late seventies I have sought to make every new design incorporate the place’s characteristic traditional building techniques, local materials, and architectural forms to the point that these new buildings have blended with the existing ones so as to seem to have been there for centuries. All these projects reflect the importance of preserving the original character of this ensemble, though without neglecting the requirements of contemporary life.