TAKE INTO THE AIR MY QUIET BREATH

In 1966, the Syrian government’s Ministry of Endowments solicited plans for a building to replace a 14th-century Mamluk mosque in Martyr’s Square in the centre of Damascus. A young architect proposed a design for a 5-star hotel and new mosque. In 1971, his plans were scrapped. In 1982, building started on a new structure. Hospital? Parking garage? Military housing? The project – now called the Basel al-Asad Center – has been the subject of much rumor and speculation. As of 2007, the building remains unfinished. In this documentary video, an architect recounts the chronicle of the building and considers its possible future.