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In the December 2002 issue of RECORD, Sahel Al-Hiyari, an architect from Amman, Jordan, joined the ranks of the Design Vanguard. Al-Hiyari was then just beginning a one-year apprenticeship of sorts, sponsored by Rolex, during which he worked with Alvaro Siza, the Pritzker Prize–winning Portuguese architect.
The inaugural year of the Rolex program ended in November 2003, with a gala in New York City that brought the various mentors and scholars (the others were from arts as diverse as literature and dance) together for one last time.
By his count, Al-Hiyari met with Siza in Portugal 11 times—although he notes that Siza always answers "five" when asked how many meetings they had. The two discussed individual projects, including the one shown above, and in some cases Siza nudged Al-Hiyari toward better or simpler solutions.
"I showed him
plans I was
working on for this project," he said, gesturing toward an early
site plan for a large house that followed the slope of a steep grade,
"and he told me to build a model. When I did, I discovered problems
that I would never have seen in drawings."
The two architects also discussed some of the more philosophical aspects of architecture and topics as far afield as the history of Islamic architecture in Portugal.
Al-Hiyari relished the periodic gatherings Rolex arranged among the participants from the various arts, where he was able to compare notes and to make friends, as well.
"It was wonderful to be in Switzerland," he said, "and to have long discussions about the artistic process."
But with Siza, he also saw the challenges that will face him as his career progresses.
"It was inspiring to see him work completely without regard to his past honors," Al-Hiyari said. "But it was also scary to see how much work it will take to be able to practice at that level."
By Kevin Lerner
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