Gezicht op Boulevard de la Republique te Algiers 1880 - 1890

Étienne Neurdein captured this photographic print of the Boulevard de la Republique in Algiers. The architecture presents a fascinating interplay of cultures, a blend of Islamic and European influences. Notice the arches lining the building on the left. Arches, as structural elements, aren't unique. Yet, here, they evoke the arcades of Roman aqueducts and the horseshoe arches found in mosques, creating a visual dialogue between distant cultures. Throughout history, this form reappears—Roman triumphal arches, Gothic cathedrals, or even modern bridges—each iteration echoing its predecessors while adapting to its time. The subconscious attraction to the arch form may lie in its suggestion of both support and openness, of passing through thresholds, representing transitions and continuity. How has the significance of this once functional design evolved through architectural applications across time and culture? The past is always present, resurfacing and taking on new life in different guises.