Sheikha Hussa lauds RIBA president's medal exhibition

KUWAIT, April 24 (KUNA) -- The annual president's medals exhibition of the British Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) kicked off at the 'Amricani' (American) Cultural Center on Tuesday.
The opening ceremony gathered co-founder and general supervisor of Kuwait's Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyyah (DAI) Sheikha Hussa Sabah Al-Salem al-Sabah, British Ambassador to Kuwait Michael Davenport and Dean of Kuwait University's College of Architecture Dr. Omar Khattab, as well as dozens of local and foreign celebrated architects.
Expressing joy for hosting the exhibition, Sheikha Hussa said the event aims to promote excellence in architecture and reward creative architects.
"The exhibition provides a chance for shedding light on innovations in architecture and the unique works of talented Kuwaiti architects," she told reporters.
"It will also encourage the students of KU College of Architecture showcase their projects and get in touch with world-renowned architects," Sheikha Hussa said, voicing hope that the Kuwait architects will be able to win awards in future events.
"Out of strong belief in its social responsibility, DAI translated into Arabic the summaries of projects competing in the current exhibition with a view to enabling the largest possible segment of the society keep abreast with the latest developments in architecture," she added.
On his part, Ambassador Davenport welcomed the cooperation between RIBA, on one hand, and DAI, the Arab architecture office Pace and KU College of Architecture, on the other.
He noted that the exhibition is the fruit of cooperation between the two sides, which reflects the strength of the UK-Kuwaiti longstanding friendship.
Meanwhile, Eng. Tarek Shuaib, Pace's CEO, said Pace is keen on shouldering its social responsibility and sharing its 50-year long experience with local and foreign friendly institutions.
"The current exhibition will encourage young Kuwait architects foster their talents and open new channels of dialogue with their peers from all nationalities," he added.
Dr. Khattab said this gathering provides a unique opportunity for bridging the gap between the academic study and practice of architecture.
"It also helps the talented architects from various nationalities display innovative works that reflect the environment of their respective urban communities," Dr. Khattab added.
The Dean of KU College of Architecture voiced hope that more Kuwaiti architects will take part in such events in the future. (end) mrf.gb