Reimagining architecture: Sumayya Vally and Alejandro Aravena

Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena is best known for his innovative social housing solutions that address issues of rapid urbanization and inequality. In 2016 he received the Pritzker Prize, the highest honor in architecture.

South African architect Sumayya Vally challenges conventional Western principles and celebrates the local textures and traditions of her hometown of Johannesburg. In 2021 she became the youngest architect to design the Serpentine Pavilion in London and in 2023 she is the director of the Islamic Arts Biennale.

In this episode, Vally and Aravena discuss how architecture can not only improve people’s lives, but also better reflect who we are.