From a Bookshelf… to a Bilingual Architectural Platform

The idea behind ArchUp was born from a deeply personal experience lived by the platform’s founder in the early 2000s.

In 2002, while still a university student, his passion for architecture began to quietly take shape away from the spotlight. At the time, Arabic architectural resources were scarce and far from meeting his intellectual curiosity. He found himself frequently returning to Jarir Bookstore, where a single shelf was dedicated to architecture books.

Most of the content was in English, posing a linguistic barrier. But his fascination with visuals, design, and meaning helped him surpass it. Over time, his student allowance turned into an investment in a growing personal library. It included titles by Zaha Hadid, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, and books dedicated to skyscrapers and high-rise design.

It wasn’t just a matter of collecting books. It was a deliberate, personal attempt to build an architectural knowledge space at a time when Arabic content was nearly invisible on the global stage.

And so the idea was born:
What if there was a bilingual architectural platform—Arabic and English—offering rich, precise, and reliable content?

A platform not built on promotion or visual noise, but on continuous learning.
A space that connects Arab architects and designers with the world, without losing its cultural roots.

Although the founder of ArchUp prefers to stay behind the scenes, his vision is clear:
To keep the platform a living, trustworthy source that keeps architects, designers, and engineers updated on the latest in global architecture—projects, trends, competitions, materials, and concepts.

Today, ArchUp is no longer just a website.
It’s a serious initiative to fill a long-standing gap in Arabic architectural media—grounded in editorial discipline and driven by content that speaks to the Arab architect’s mind and global ambition.