122. Sumayya Vally

About Art

Sumayya Vally is the founder and principal of Counterspace, a Johannesburg-based architecture and research studio. Counterspace is committed to developing a design language that acknowledges and resonates with the African continent. In 2019, Counterspace was invited to design the 20th Serpentine Pavilion in London, making Vally the youngest architect ever to win this internationally renowned commission. She recently curated the first Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah. Vally is currently collaborating on the design of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development in Monrovia, Liberia, the first presidential library dedicated to a female head of state, where she will oversee the scenography, pavilions, and exhibition spaces.
She and Zuckerman spoke about imagination, fear of design, metaphors of healing, dialogue with place, the first Islamic Arts Biennale, having a life in a city, ingredients of gathering, architecture of ritual, dynamic restoration, everyone is welcome, beauty, gathering and belonging, and having a practice of hope and optimism!