The inaugural edition of Sharjah Architecture Triennial, curated by Adrian Lahoud, Dean of the School of Architecture at the Royal College of Art, sets out to rethink architecture and its power to create and sustain alternative modes of existence.

Through the theme of Rights of Future Generations, it questions how the environment is passed on from one generation to the next, how present decisions have long-term intergenerational consequences, and how other expressions of coexistence, including indigenous ones, might challenge dominant perspectives and propose alternative forms of life.

Using Sharjah as its primary field of research, the theme addresses the concerns of an emerging generation of architects, urban planners and thinkers from across the region and its diaspora. It responds to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by this generation in terms of anti-colonial struggles, institution building, and historical archives.

Leading up to the inaugural edition's opening which took place on November 9, 2019, Sharjah Architecture Triennial initiated forums in Sharjah along the three main research areas of housing, education and the environment. Starting with Cairo, this series extended to other locations across the Global South in the months before.

The forum in Cairo featured a talk by Adrian Lahoud that was followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

The April 25 forum was co-organised by the Sharjah Architecture Triennial and the Royal College of Art, London.