Sumayya Vally Renovates Heritage Building in Central London as New Arts and Cultural Center

"October will see the opening of Ibraaz, a new cultural space reimagined by Architect-in-Residence Sumayya Vally in central London. The initiative is led by the Kamel Lazaar Foundation and aims to highlight art, culture, and ideas from the Global Majority: communities of African, Asian, Indigenous, and Latin American heritage that together represent most of the world's population. The project seeks to bridge local and global conversations by creating a "world of many worlds" within a single venue:"

"The name Ibraaz means "to shine a light on" in Arabic, reflecting the center's intention to encourage open expression, critical discourse, and collective imagination. The cultural space is located in a Grade II listed building at 93 Mortimer Street. Over the years, the building has served diverse functions: originally a synagogue, later the residence of Sir Robert Bateson Harvey, and then the London Galvanic Hospital."

"The architectural transformation of the building was led by Sumayya Vally, founder of the studio Counterspace and the youngest architect to design the Serpentine Pavilion. Her approach reimagines 93 Mortimer Street as a living, evolving structure that will continue to transform over time. Echoing ideas from her celebrated 2021 Serpentine Pavilion, the design draws on diasporic gathering spaces across London, often overlooked but central to the city's social fabric."

Ibraaz will open in October in central London within a six-floor, 10,000-square-foot Grade II listed building at 93 Mortimer Street. The Kamel Lazaar Foundation leads the initiative to highlight art, culture, and ideas from communities of African, Asian, Indigenous, and Latin American heritage, framing them as the Global Majority. The venue aims to bridge local and global conversations, creating a 'world of many worlds' inside a single site. Architect Sumayya Vally reimagined the building as a living, evolving structure informed by diasporic gathering spaces across London. The space intends to encourage open expression, critical discourse, and collective imagination while honoring layered historical uses.

Read at ArchDaily