As Syria is emerging from over a decade of conflict at the time of writing, it is an opportunity to rediscover its architectural gems. Just to the north of the country's principal port city of Latakia is a Modernist creation that is the Center for Marine Research. Its pyramidal structure is situated on a prominent headland surrounded by sea on three sides. To the east is a bay with hotels and beaches while to the north and west is the open Mediterranean Sea reaching Turkey and Cyprus beyond. Despite its importance both as a research institution and as a piece of architecture, it lies abandoned and isolated today.
The Center for Marine Research, also known by other names including The Higher Institute of Marine Research, was established by Syrian legislation in 1971, and in 1987 it became part of Tishreen University. It was designed by Arab Engineers and Architects, a firm led by the architect and educator Bourhan Tayara. Tayara belongs to a generation of Syrian architects with a diverse approach to Modernism expressed in their projects in the mid-twentieth century, particularly the 1960s and 70s. After completing his studies at Ain Shams University, Egypt, he pursued postgraduate degrees in the United States before returning to Syria where he set up his firm in 1968 alongside teaching. His other notable completed buildings include the Fine Arts Society Condominium and the Faculty of Architecture, University of Damascus.
