We're excited to announce the relaunch of EastEast, dedicating our comeback issue to the subject of architecture. We are trying to understand what defines a tradition and what makes it last, to understand how new schools of architecture can build on, learn from, and pay homage to time-tested practices without relegating them to the past. In this issue, we reconsider traditional architecture, not in the form of dormant relics or museumified artifacts, but as living, enduring examples. We seek to uncover the many ways architecture molds our senses, alters our perceptions, and shapes our understanding of the world.
Through various materials and mediums, we underscore architecture's crucial role in not just creating physical buildings, but also influencing our lives and cultures, structuring the ways we communicate with each other. On the EastEast website, we'll share interviews, features, and films that tell the stories of architectural forms and materials, emphasizing their psychocultural significance. We will discuss traditional architecture and heritage preservation, share insights on myths about Dagestan and architectural connections between Persia and the South Caucasus, and present some intriguing artifacts.
A print version of EastEast will serve as a haptic extension of the topic, offering exclusive texts and visuals that provide a rich reading experience. The print version will be out in January 2024.
Cover image:
Tent construction at Heenat Salma Farm. Doha, Qatar, 2022
Photography: Ganna Ostapenko
