Metamorphosis of a country

Woven transparency as symbol for advancement and openness

Photographer: Cemal Emden

As gateway to Africa, Libya has had an eventful history since its formation. Numerous wars and conquests, but also the controversial reforms by head of state Muammar al-Gaddafi, shaped the beautiful country at the Mediterranean, which is five times the size of Germany and has been in a self-inflicted slumber for decades. Since the end of the international isolation in 2004, the desert country has been in a state of advancement. Extensive oil and gas exports are the backbone of its booming economy, which wants to tap additional growth potential by cautiously opening the door to tourism. With over 2,000 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline, magnificent ancient ruins and picturesque dunes in the Sahara desert, Libya can offer a virtually untouched paradise. Numerous building projects transform the capital Tripoli into a modern commercial metropolis, whose architecture bears witness to a new self-image. The Tripoli International Convention Center - finished in February and created by the Istanbul architects Murat and Melkan Tabanlioglu - serves as an example. The reduced use of forms resulted in a prestigious meeting place, whose semi-transparent cladding with multiple slits, made of bronze-coloured metal mesh, bestows a mystical character upon the building. In front, a transparent media facade made of Mediamesh^® becomes the striking symbol for a new form of communicative openness.