Hashim Sarkis

Hashim Sarkis
Name	Hashim Sarkis
Birth place	Beirut, Lebanon
Alma mater	Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University
Occupation	Architect, urbanist, professor, curator
Notable works	Architecture of Emergency, Beirut River Project
Awards	Aga Khan Award for Architecture (jury chair), Alvar Aalto Medal (juror)

Hashim Sarkis Hashim Sarkis is a Lebanese-born architect, urbanist, curator, and professor known for interdisciplinary work linking architecture, urbanism, and post-conflict reconstruction. He has held leadership roles at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, contributed to major international competitions, and curated global exhibitions engaging with cities such as Beirut, New York, and Venice. Sarkis's practice and scholarship intersect with institutions including the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and the Venice Biennale.

Early life and education

Born in Beirut, Sarkis's formative years unfolded amid the Lebanese Civil War, shaping interests in urban resilience and reconstruction relating to Beirut, Lebanese Civil War, Middle East, Mediterranean Sea, and Lebanon. He completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and pursued doctoral research associated with Harvard University and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, engaging with scholars and practitioners linked to MIT Media Lab, GSD, Columbia University, Princeton University, and University of Cambridge networks. His mentors and contemporaries include figures from OMA, Rem Koolhaas, Stanley Allen, Yona Friedman, Bernard Tschumi, and Peter Eisenman milieus.

Academic and professional career

Sarkis served as Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design and previously held faculty posts at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, connecting with programs such as Urban Studies, Real Estate Development, and laboratories like the Senseable City Lab. He has collaborated with global entities including the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, United Nations, UN-Habitat, World Bank, and European Union agencies on urban policy and design frameworks. His professional network spans firms and institutions such as Herzog & de Meuron, Foster + Partners, Snøhetta, SOM, and cultural bodies like the MoMA, Carnegie Museum of Art, Tate Modern, and Centre Pompidou.

Architectural practice and projects

In practice, Sarkis has led projects addressing reconstruction, public space, and infrastructure, including initiatives in Beirut River, Tripoli, Lebanon, Aleppo, Rafah, and other sites across the Levant. His interventions have engaged with multidisciplinary teams from ARUP, AECOM, Atkins, Sasaki Associates, and research partners at MIT Senseable City Lab, Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture. Notable project types include urban masterplans, adaptive reuse schemes, cultural centers, and temporary installations resonant with precedents such as the High Line, HafenCity, and Granary Square.

Curatorial and exhibition work

Sarkis curated major exhibitions and contributed to biennales and symposia, collaborating with institutions like the Venice Biennale, Sharjah Biennial, Architectural Association, Columbia GSAPP, and museums including the Museum of Modern Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Beirut Art Center. He curated thematic shows addressing emergency, urban commons, and reconstruction with partners including Getty Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture jury assemblies. His curatorial practice intersected with artists and architects associated with Rafael Moneo, Tadao Ando, Zaha Hadid, Santiago Calatrava, and interdisciplinary collaborators from MIT Media Lab.

Awards and honors

Sarkis's recognition includes appointments and roles with international juries, advisory boards, and award committees linked to the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Pritzker Architecture Prize forums, Alvar Aalto Medal juries, Royal Institute of British Architects panels, and fellowships from foundations such as the Guggenheim Foundation, Getty Research Institute, and Fulbright Program. He has received honorary distinctions and lectureships associated with institutions like Princeton University, Yale School of Architecture, ETH Zurich, and TU Delft.

Publications and teaching

Sarkis has authored and edited books, essays, and articles published by presses and journals such as MIT Press, Harvard University Press, Journal of Architectural Education, Architectural Record, and Domus. His scholarship includes thematic work on emergency architecture, urban politics, and reconstruction, dialoguing with texts by Jane Jacobs, Kevin Lynch, Henri Lefebvre, Rem Koolhaas, and Aldo Rossi. As an educator he has led studios and seminars involving students from Harvard Graduate School of Design, MIT School of Architecture and Planning, Columbia GSAPP, TU Delft, and Royal College of Art, supervising research that intersects with programs at the World Bank, UNESCO, and UN-Habitat.

Category:Lebanese architects Category:Architectural educators