Renowned as an Honorary Professor of Practice, Sumayya Vally stands at the forefront of architectural innovation and cultural redefinition.

Sumayya Vally (b. 1990, South Africa) is the principal of architecture and research practice, Counterspace. Her practice is dedicated to articulating expressions of hybrid identities and spaces, with a particular interest in the complex relationships between territories and places. Vally is the youngest architect ever commissioned for the Serpentine Pavilion, completed in 2021 and lauded as one of the most radical pavilion designs to shape the commission.

She was Artistic Director of the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, which marked a pivotal moment in reimagining the definition of Islamic art. A TIME100 Next list honoree, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and Dezeen’s Emerging Architect of the Year 2023, Vally has been identified as someone who will shape the future of architectural practice and pedagogy. She is Honorary Professor of Practice at The Bartlett School of Architecture, and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

As the founder and Principal of Counterspace, a design, research, and pedagogical entity, Vally's work seeks to articulate the identities and landscapes of African and Islamic contexts, both rooted and diasporic, with a particular interest in the complex relationships between territories. Recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and listed in the TIME100 Next, she has been named as a force poised to redefine architectural practice and canon.

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Her pioneering spirit has garnered international acclaim, earning her accolades such as the title of Emerging Architect of the Year at the esteemed 2023 Dezeen Awards, and recognition as one of Financial Times Readers’ Women of the Year 2023. Vally's design prowess is exemplified by her commission as the youngest architect ever to design the Serpentine Pavilion in London, which opened to critical acclaim as being one of the most radical pavilion designs to shape the commission.

In addition to her architectural achievements, Vally's role as the Artistic Director of the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah marked a pivotal moment in the reimagining of the definition of Islamic art. Her innovative approach, rooted in decolonial principles and grounded in the lived experiences of the Islamic world, has earned widespread acclaim and praise for its bold reinterpretation of traditional paradigms.

Beyond her design practice, Vally's commitment to education and knowledge dissemination is evident through her involvement in various academic and institutional endeavours. Her contributions have been recognized with several honours, including an Honorary Professorship from UCL and a gold medal from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Vally's unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of architectural discourse and fostering new avenues of cultural expression continues to inspire and shape the future of the field.

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The artwork Grains of Paradise by Sumayya Vally, originally presented at Triënnale Brugge, now finds a new home in Vilvoorde as part of the Horst Expo. Inspired by themes of migration and interconnectedness between humans, plants, and species, the installation takes on deeper significance in a city shaped by diverse histories and communities.

This new presentation at Asiat Park is enriched by a collaboration with Horteco students, who apply their expertise in biotope studies and ecological management to integrate the artwork into the local ecosystem. The students share a unique connection with Paul Panda Farnana, a Congolese activist and horticulturist who studied at Horteco (then the Vilvoorde Horticultural School) over a century ago. Their participation in the project brings his legacy full circle, bridging past and present through education, nature, and art.

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Grains of Paradise also serves as a symbolic monument to colonial history, acknowledging the untold stories of migration and resistance. The story of Paul Panda Farnana, which was first uncovered by Sumayya Vally during research for a sister project, the Asiat-Darse Bridge in Vilvoorde, mirrors the narrative of Grains of Paradise, which references boats as a tribute to the Congo River’s trade and movement of people.

Presented in partnership with Triënnale Brugge, Stad Vilvoorde, and Horteco, this project stands as a powerful reflection on history, identity, and our shared environment, inviting the public to engage with the past while shaping a more connected future.

Sumayya Vally staat bekend als Honorary Professor of Practice en staat in de voorhoede van architectonische innovatie en culturele herdefiniëring.

Als oprichter en directeur van Counterspace, een ontwerp-, onderzoeks- en onderwijsinstelling, probeert Vally met haar werk de identiteiten en landschappen van Afrikaanse en islamitische contexten te articuleren, zowel geworteld als diasporisch, met een bijzondere interesse in de complexe relaties tussen gebieden. Ze is erkend als een Young Global Leader van het World Economic Forum en opgenomen in de TIME100 Next. Ze wordt genoemd als een kracht die klaar staat om de architectonische praktijk en canon opnieuw te definiëren.

Haar pioniersgeest heeft haar internationale erkenning opgeleverd, zoals de titel Emerging Architect of the Year bij de gerenommeerde 2023 Dezeen Awards, en erkenning als een van de Financial Times Readers' Women of the Year 2023. Vally's ontwerpprofessionaliteit wordt geïllustreerd door haar opdracht als jongste architect ooit om het Serpentine Paviljoen in Londen te ontwerpen, dat opende onder lovende kritieken als een van de meest radicale paviljoenontwerpen die de opdracht heeft vormgegeven.

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Naast haar architectonische prestaties was Vally's rol als artistiek directeur van de inaugurele Islamitische Kunst Biënnale in Jeddah een cruciaal moment in de herdefiniëring van de definitie van islamitische kunst. Haar innovatieve benadering, geworteld in decoloniale principes en gegrond in de doorleefde ervaringen van de islamitische wereld, heeft veel bijval en lof geoogst voor haar gedurfde herinterpretatie van traditionele paradigma's.

Naast haar ontwerppraktijk is Vally's betrokkenheid bij onderwijs en kennisverspreiding duidelijk zichtbaar in haar betrokkenheid bij verschillende academische en institutionele inspanningen. Haar bijdragen zijn erkend met verschillende onderscheidingen, waaronder een ereprofessoraat van de UCL en een gouden medaille van het Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Vally's niet-aflatende toewijding aan het verleggen van de grenzen van het architectonisch discours en het stimuleren van nieuwe wegen voor culturele expressie blijft inspireren en vorm geven aan de toekomst van het vakgebied.

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