Mangera Yvars Architects, Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, Entrance, 2015.

Our view of architecture is drawn from our overwhelming interest in urbanity and identity. By this we mean what the impact of architecture is beyond the immediate and specific question of ‘the building’. How do we blur the boundaries between where our architecture ends and where the city begins?
What mechanisms are in place in order to anchor our architecture within both its context and within an existing landscape? Our idea of landscape refers as much to terrain and topography as it does to demographic, social and cultural landscape, or urban phenomenon such as congestion and flow.
Our approach is through the idea of ‘architecture as landscape’ from which we address the key issues of our day such as the changing way we live and work, our basic requirements for shelter, our desire for better urban space, and our absolute need for sustainable cities.
As an international practice we are constantly dealing with identity and how people relate to our buildings and accept them as part and of local culture while simultaneously being of its time.
Many of our projects are located in Middle Eastern nations that are undergoing rapid transformations. Whilst investment in infrastructure and planning accelerates, the pace of development accelerates as well; therefore there is a growing realization that culture and identity are being lost. MYAA has been working across the region for a decade exploring the question of what is contemporary Islamic identity in the form of cities and urbanism as well as architecture. The recently completed Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) represents the integration of faith, culture, identity, and learning space.
It is through these terms that we relate our architecture to the title of this exhibition. We do not think of space in terms of boundaries but in terms of transitions.
Time and space are inseparable, and both are transitional. The city and landscape, social and topological, change over time, and our architecture must find its place within this flow.
Existence in architecture is as much about meeting the physiological requirements for shelter as it also must deal with cultural identity in contemporary society.