Architecture as a cultural bridge and a tool for cooperation between Italy and Libya: this is the message launched in Tripoli during the Urban Forum and the Italian Design Day 2025, organized by the Italian Embassy in Libya with the participation of the Libyan Authority for Architecture and the regional Orders of Italian Architects, in collaboration with the Tripoli Desk of the Ice Agency – Italian Trade and Investment Agency. Architecture unites Italy and Libya in the name of memory, identity and future”, wrote the Italian Embassy in Tripoli on X, announcing the signing of a new collaboration agreement between Italian and Libyan architects to enhance the shared urban heritage. “A moment of dialogue – we read in another post – to design joint initiatives in the field of architecture, urban planning and the protection of cultural heritage”.
The initiative saw the participation of a delegation of Italian architects, accompanied on a guided tour of the historic buildings of the Italian era in the center of Tripoli, a symbolic area where Libyan and Italian architectural elements blend together. The buildings, some of which date back to the colonial era, have recently undergone restoration work promoted by the Libyan Authority for Architecture, a non-governmental organization founded in 2011 and active in the protection of the national architectural heritage.
During the forum, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Libyan Authority for Architecture and the regional Orders of Italian Architects, with the aim of intensifying the exchange of skills and training programs, particularly in the field of urban heritage conservation, restoration of historic buildings and integrated planning of historic centers. In his speech, the Italian Ambassador to Libya, Gianluca Alberini, underlined how “architecture represents a deep bond between the two countries, as demonstrated by the presence in Libya of numerous buildings of great historical value that need to be restored and enhanced in a manner consistent with their original identity”.
According to what we learned from “Nova Agency”, the agreement includes joint initiatives for professional training, technical workshops on conservative restoration and pilot projects for the recovery of degraded urban areas, with the aim of involving local authorities and universities of the two countries. The initiative is part of the cultural cooperation between Rome and Tripoli, which in recent years has seen a growing attention to the patrimonial and urban dimension as a lever for stability and social regeneration.
