ELIAS

AND

YOUSEF

ANASTAS

AAU ANASTAS

Elias & Yousef Anastas are partners at AAU ANASTAS architects, co-founders of Local Industries, co-founders of Radio alHara and co-founders of The Wonder Cabinet.

The studio focuses on tying links between crafts and architecture at scales that vary from furniture design to territorial explorations.

The studio has been advocating for a contemporary use of structural stone in architecture in Palestine and elsewhere. Elias & Yousef have been particularly interested in the politics of stone use for low carbon footprint structures, more resilient cities and more responsible quarries’ exploitation.

They co-founded Radio alHara, a community-based online radio that weaves unconventional nets of solidarities through sonic experiences. Linking hyper-contextual conditions that are different a priori to create a new strengthened global critical discourse has been at the intersection of all of our practices.

Most recently they launched the Wonder Cabinet, a space-based initiative in Bethlehem for cultural productions that gathers a community of artisans and artists, technical and artistic realms in the aim of producing a culture of global provincialism.

Their work is part of the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Frac Centre-Val de Loire and the Vitra Design Museum.

They lectured at Columbia University, Bard University, Cooper Union, ETH, École d’architecture de Paris Val de Seine, École d’architecture de Paris Belleville, The Nieuwe Instituut, The Mosaic Rooms, Mendrisio, Venice Biennale, Storefront, Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar, Architectural Association London, Trinity College Dublin, University of Toronto, amongst others.

MAURIZIOtable
230 x 110 x 75 cm

A stone table shaped through stereotomy, where survival emerges as collaboration between the blocks. Individual elements, precisely cut, interlock and support one another, distributing forces in a complex balance. Alone, they could not stand, together they defy gravity. Unity becomes strength, as each piece contributes to a shared permanence, sustained by collective action.