The Casbah: Reimagining the Counter-Space

Inspired by the inherent character of agency in the spatial configuration of the Casbah of Algiers, an urban and architectural strategy in the form of a counter-space is presented, aimed to extract agency from the youth that were terrorized by the Algerian Civil War.The urban intervention is situated in an interstitial spatio-temporal context- scaffolding and abandoned plots- within the present state of interregnum. A binary counter-space consisting of pathways and a fragmented anthology of temporary towers is developed.The temporary structures will reinject the youth into the heart of the city by physically situating them within and compelling them to confront their context. These structures will impose the youth upon the context; in turn, the context will impose itself upon the youth; with this confrontation between them, a contemporary counter-space is created and as a result the youth is presented with a platform for expression and action towards self-determination.