Sound & Stone from Palestine to the World | Elias & Yousef Anastas

Description

We talk with architects Elias and Yousef Anastas, partners at studio AAU Anastas about their deeply researched practice, their dedication to using stone in innovative and ethical ways, and the many social, political, and cultural considerations around building in Palestine, and beyond. Our conversation touches on their many other collaborations including Local Industries, Radio Alhara, and Wonder Cabinet, and we discuss how their work—through sound and stone—continues to transmit Palestine to the rest of the world. Recorded on March 24, 2026 Elias and Yousef Anastas are architects from Bethlehem. Their practice advocates for a contemporary use of structural stone in architecture in Palestine and beyond, exploring the politics of building with stone as a pathway toward low-carbon structures, more resilient cities, and responsible quarrying. They participated in the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2021 with All Purpose, a stone installation proposing a new model of stone habitat. They cofounded Local Industries, a network of makers producing objects that range from furniture to experimental architecture, among them the Jamil Chair, now part of the Vitra Design Museum collection. Their work is also included in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s permanent collection. They have designed and built major public and cultural projects such as the Tulkarem Courthouse, the Hebron Courthouse, a reinforced flat stone vault in Abu Ghosh, and the restoration of Dar al-Majus in Bethlehem, among others. They also co-founded Radio alHara, a communal online radio shaped by over 300 contributors, and Wonder Cabinet, a space for experimental production in Bethlehem, for which they received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Connect with Elias and Yousef Anastas 👉 https://instagram.com/aauanastas Hosted by Yazan Kopty Yazan Kopty is a writer, researcher, and community archivist. His work explores the relationship between narrative and power and advocates for storytelling grounded in self-representation and community collabora