Wael Al Awar, co-founder of the Dubai- and Tokyo-based studio waiwai, says that at the Anthology 2026 festival, he observed a growing problem: cities increasingly look the same. As the world’s skylines rise, many places are adopting similar architectural styles. Al Awar argues this trend often comes at the cost of local cultural identity.
Architecture and the Culture of Capital
The architect believes this uniformity is driven by the “culture of capital.” He says economic priorities shape the built environment, resulting in similar-looking cities despite their different cultural contexts. For Al Awar, the solution requires dialogue. Architects must involve the communities who will use the spaces in the design process. This ensures projects serve people rather than institutions alone.
Al Awar notes that the “culture of capital” often dictates the form of the city. He points to his recent visit to Bonifacio Global City in the Philippines as an example. He said the area feels like Dubai, even though the culture in the Philippines and the culture in the UAE are very different.
Al Awar says architects today must reconsider their roles. Instead of focusing only on aesthetics, they need to see themselves as custodians of the planet. He challenged the idea that environmental concerns are the responsibility of engineers or other specialists. He said architects must be accountable for the consequences of their decisions, rather than treating climate issues as someone else’s problem.
He argued that the old way of thinking, where architects said, “this is not my problem as an architect, it’s the problem of some engineer,” is no longer acceptable. He said architects cannot be half foot in and half foot out when it comes to responsibility.
Local Materials and Reuse
To move away from the “culture of capital,” Al Awar suggests architects should look to vernacular architecture. This refers to buildings that draw on locally available materials and the conditions of their environment. However, he noted that these practices cannot simply be copied as a universal solution.
His studio explored alternative building materials through Wetland, a prototype presented at the UAE National Pavilion in 2021. The project used brine, a salty byproduct of industrial desalination, as a binding agent instead of conventional Portland cement. The design drew inspiration from the UAE’s sabkhas, or coastal salt flats. The prototype received the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Al Awar also explored how buildings could be designed to make material reuse easier. At Hayy Jameel, a 17,000-square-meter arts center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the design uses standard steel members that can be dismantled and reassembled for other purposes. If the building is no longer needed, its components can be sold or used in another project rather than discarded following demolition. This approach offers a way to extend the useful life of building materials and reduce construction waste.
In Dubai, Al Awar and his team applied a similar principle of reuse through Hai d3, a creative hub completed in 2015. The project used repurposed shipping containers already available in the city, requiring concrete only for the foundations. Its layout drew inspiration from traditional Arabic neighborhoods, with open courtyards and shared spaces designed to encourage interaction. By combining reused materials with spatial ideas drawn from local traditions, Hai d3 demonstrates how architectural design can respond to its context while making use of existing resources.
Community Engagement and Local Identity
An example of his context-driven approach is Al Warqa’a Mosque in Dubai. The mosque uses Saudi sandstone for its exterior. The sandy tones echo the surrounding desert environment. The design moves away from enclosed, monumental forms. Instead, it emphasizes openness and its role as a gathering place. Through its material choices and communal spaces, the project illustrates how architecture responds to physical surroundings. It also meets the needs of the people who use it.
