Architecture competitions have long been a means for nations to shape their identity, cultural landscapes, and built environment. They provide a platform for international architects to contribute to national projects, often reflecting broader ambitions of modernization and global recognition. In 1976, Bahrain launched potentially the first major architectural competition—a call for designs for a National Cultural Centre, bringing some of the world's leading architects into the Gulf's emerging architectural discourse. Though the winning design by Timo Penttilä was never built, the competition remains a key moment in Bahrain's history, illustrating the challenges of translating external visions into local realities.
Recently, Stockholm-based researcher and historian Suha Hasan, a PhD holder from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, revisited this overlooked moment in an exhibition as part of the Muharraq Nights festival, which was sponsored by Mohamed Salahuddin Consulting Engineering Bureau (MSCEB). The showcase featured physical models, created by ASH, inspired by archival research and first-hand accounts of the 1976 competition which were, highlighting elements of Bahrain's rich architectural heritage and re-examining the ambitions behind the project. Though the exhibition has ended, it reignited a conversation about Bahrain's evolving architectural identity and the lasting influence of unbuilt designs.
