Lina Ghotmeh's 'Archaeology of the Future' at Milano Arch Week 2024

Lina Ghotmeh, born in Beirut in 1980 and currently based in Paris, delivered the keynote lecture opening the sixth edition of Milano Arch Week, organized by Triennale Milano and Politecnico di Milano. The 2024 edition explored the concept of a 'weak' architecture attuned to citizens' needs and territorial dialogue. Ghotmeh defines her approach as 'archaeology of the future,' blending technological progress with artisanal tradition. Her notable projects include the new Maison Hermès workshop in Louviers, France—the first low-carbon, energy-positive production building—the Serpentine Pavilion 2023 in London, and the Stone Garden Tower in Beirut, an apartment building with irregular form and handcrafted materials. She recently unveiled the design for the Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka and has been commissioned to design the contemporary art museum in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. In her lecture and interview, Ghotmeh emphasized architecture's responsibility to foster human connection, memory, and sustainability, advocating for humility, fragility, and interdisciplinary collaboration with fields like psychology, biology, and physics.