Sumayya Vally, renowned architect and Principal of the Johannesburg/London-based studio Counterspace, won the competition to design the new Asiat-Darse pedestrian bridge in Vilvoorde, Belgium. Counterspace's design concept delved into the history and impact of Paul Panda Farnana, a significant yet under-appreciated figure in the city, who studied the intricate connections between past and future generations of migrant individuals and communities. "The studio has been praised for its research-led approach, which led to the discovery of Farnana and his work, and for shedding light on an otherwise overlooked, vital part of the city’s history". Construction on the Asiat-Darse pedestrian bridge is set to commence in April 2024, with an estimated completion date of December 2025.
"Farnana used his position to advocate for the rights of black people and participated in the first Pan African Congress in 1919, initiated by W.E.B. Du Bois. This inspired him to found the first Congolese association in Belgium: the Union Congolaise, an association for mutual aid and moral development of the Congolese race", explains the official press release. To honor Farnana's legacy, Vally took inspiration from the water structures along the Congo River. The shape of the bridge is made to resemble the fleets of dugout canoes, frequently packed together tightly to create a common platform for trading and gatherings. The Asiat-Darse bridge is intended to serve as a meeting spot for commuters and tourists. Each boat-shaped structure serves as a standalone seed bed, raising particular plants whose seeds can be disseminated by the wind and carried by individuals walking across the bridge. To fill the seed beds, Vally thoroughly researched numerous plants and varieties. Through this, the bridge honors Farnana's horticultural efforts by acting as a nursery or seedling bed, through which plants can migrate and spread across the site.
When we were approached to work on the bridge and subsequently found the story of Farnana through our research, I was interested in the idea of this as an active monument and a space for healing and remembering…embedded in this project response is an ethos that we hold true in our practice - every project brief, even the most simple or neutral, is an opportunity to write our histories and identities. A bridge is a connector - in our project. It is a connector to past and future narratives of migration too. --Sumayya Vally
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Sumayya Vally on the First Islamic Arts Biennale: "Claim, Reclaim, Configure, and Reconfigure"In addition to the main structure, the design proposes several smaller boat-like structures that integrate into the river bank. Each of these structures will be named after the laborers whose names were discovered in the studio's research from the Congo register. These boats will act as pollinators, enhancing the ecosystem of the adjacent industrial zone and providing a small garden for contemplation, where passers-by can find respite.
Sumayya Vally was also the artistic director of the first Islamic Arts Biennale, which recently ended in May 2023. Set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the inaugural event reimagined the Western Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz Airport, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and winner of the 1983 Aga Khan Award, as a cultural space to redefine Islamic Arts. Additionally, in Atelier Masōmī’s design for the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development in Liberia, Summayya Vally was the exhibition’s architect. Finally, Vally, directing the Counterspace team, designed the 20th Serpentine Pavilion in 2021.
