A Symbol : The village symbolizes re-discovered identity, for handicrafts and artistic creation is what links the multiple fibres of a dissiociated cultural personality. Creation is also the indivisible thread leading towards that personality by means of popular traditions, which has unfathomable wisdom, but no pretension.

A School : The young, who have somewhat lost their references, need to rehabilitate and re-appropriate them. The village intends to invest in the young, who will later become imbued with disappearing crafts an be entrusted with our cultural heritage.

A future-oriented village : As progress is necessarily deeply rooted in cultural heritage, this project is deliberately future-oriented at the same time as it is pervaded by traditional wealth, which modern sensitivity can fertilize without violating.

The simplest object and the boldest research are united in the same concern sense of proportion an purity of lines.

On the coastal road leading to the Tunisian South, the white dome of the Sidi Khlifa Shrine comes into view and the majestic triumph arch stands in ancient Pheradi-Majus, bearing witness to the prosperous past of the area. We have selected this site to build our "Kèn" village, in our attempt to re-appropriate our wealthy heritage.

"Kèn"'s layout inspires a new life-style which harmonizes past and future. Our ability to comprehend past values gives full sense to any modernistic evolution. In our approach to architecture, as any creative act, we have derived our matter from the original source of collective memory. As such "Kèn" naturally expresses Mediterranean, Arab-Muslim and African culture.

Our hope is to restore an architectural style which combines pure lines, aesthetic forms and economical means, by using local materials and ancestral know-how.

"Kèn" intends to provide a cultural space for international encounter and exchange.

We strongly believe in the possibility of innovation, starting from our actual experiences. This is why the "Kèn" movement is concerned with the restoring its nobleness to know how. "Kèn" will endeavour to promote an architectural trend in keeping with existing life-styles, making use of all techniques and art forms directly or indirectly linked to our cultural heritage. Our objective is based on the idea of constructing concrete situations having important implications for present and future time.

Our program tries to undertake immediately (tomorow it will be too late) the individual and collective task of changing everyday culture, thus creating the cultural heritage of tomorow.

For "Kèn" it is not a matter of pretentious philosophizing about passions. The point is, rather, stimulating new impulses and carrying passions into effects.

Noura and Slah Smaoui

- Route de Sousse, km 82 - BP n°5 -

- 4010 Sidi Khlifa - Bouficha -

- TUNISIE -

Tél : (216-3) 252 110 - Fax : (216-3) 252 112