RAW-NYC Architects

RAW-NYC Architects Founded by RAYA ANI, RAW-NYC Architects is a global architecture & design practice based in New York & Dubai.

We specialize in innovative and sustainable architecture, interiors, urban planning, and construction across diverse scales and contexts.

08/19/2026

The way we work with brands is changing.

We are moving away from thinking of brand as something applied to architecture — and toward seeing it as something that can shape the experience from the very beginning.

The Kiss of Life lives in those moments when identity, space, and imagination begin to speak to one another — and even the temporary becomes part of the whole.

Brand and architecture begin to shape one another — each changing the way the other is experienced.

More soon.

Raya Ani
RAW-NYC Architects

Prada — 724 Fifth Avenue, New York
Louis Vuitton — Fifth Avenue & 57th Street, New York

08/14/2026

The way we work with artists is changing.

We are moving away from treating art as an addition later in the process — and toward engaging artists as part of the lived experience of architecture.

The Kiss of Life lives in those encounters — when another way of seeing enters the work, and something neither could have imagined alone comes into being.

Art and architecture begin to shape one another — each changing the way the other is experienced.

More soon.

Raya Ani
RAW-NYC Architects

Artwork: Precious Okoyomon, Everything wants to kill you and you should be afraid, 2026
Whitney Biennial 2026, Whitney Museum of American Art

08/13/2026

RAYA ANI

is rethinking the role of

THE ARCHITECT

How we work.
Who we work with.
The way we work is changing.

A new chapter is taking shape at

RAW-NYC ARCHITECTS

COMING SOON.

08/06/2026

How we work. Who we work with.

The way we work is changing.

Credit to our visionary architect, Raya Ani — a woman of vision, and impact. 💜

Launch coming soon.

08/03/2026

Some opportunities are not given. They must be created.

In late 2018, while developing a vision for an Expo pavilion, I found myself asking:

Why doesn't Iraq have a dedicated pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai?

I went to the Iraq Embassy in Abu Dhabi to raise the idea. I was asked, "Why you?" I was told there was no allocated budget and no interest.

I left more determined, with no idea of the challenges ahead.
I wanted Iraq to have its own dedicated pavilion, not a shared presence as in previous Expos.

In February 2019, I began developing three pavilion concepts. The creative process felt as if everything aligned — as if three different versions of me emerged, each bringing its own vision for Iraq.

I remember that day vividly — staying in bed, sketching, unable to stop until the idea was fully formed. It was one of those rare moments when creativity, experience, and intuition came together.

It was lonely at the start. Then I formed a small team. It was funded by me at first, driven by my belief that Iraq deserved to be represented.

On July 28, 2019, the public vote opened:

Your Vote Is Your Voice — play your role in shaping Iraq's future by voting for one of three pavilion designs.

The initiative gave Iraqis a voice and showed how architecture can carry a nation's aspirations.

Only a few know the full journey behind it — the decisions, the challenges, the persistence, and the determination required to bring this vision to reality.

After the public vote, Iraq entered a period of instability following the October 2019 protests, compounded by Iraq's political, administrative, and bureaucratic environment, and then COVID-19. Expo 2020 Dubai was postponed by one year, opening on October 1, 2021 and concluding on March 31, 2022.

Iraqis have carried decades of hardship. This was one small proof that something could still be built, not just endured.

Grateful to the Iraqis who supported this vision, the volunteers, and the Expo 2020 Dubai team and UAE government.

RAYA ANI July 28th 2026

Archive: https://www.iraqpavilion.rayaani.com/
YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist...

08/01/2026

Marking the anniversary of the public vote to select the design of the Iraq Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Our motto was: Your Vote Is Your Voice — Play your role in shaping Iraq’s future by voting for one of the three pavilion designs.

The complete Iraq Pavilion archive, including the designs and voting initiative, has moved to:

https://www.iraqpavilion.rayaani.com/

♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡• ♡ • ♡ • ♡ •

A few selected videos are shared below. Many more can be found on our YouTube channels:

https://www.youtube.com/

08/01/2026

في ذكرى إطلاق التصويت لاختيار تصميم جناح العراق في إكسبو ٢٠٢٠ دبي.
كان شعارنا:

خيارك هو صوتك — كن أحد صنّاع القرار لمستقبل العراق بالتصويت لأحد التصاميم الثلاثة لجناح العراق
تم نقل الأرشيف الكامل لجناح العراق، بما في ذلك التصاميم والتصويت، إلى:

https://www.iraqpavilion.rayaani.com/

Ten years ago in London, I was invited to share my story with Zaha Hadid.The tribute at University College London brough...
07/28/2026

Ten years ago in London, I was invited to share my story with Zaha Hadid.

The tribute at University College London brought together Iraqi architects, engineers, artists, and cultural organizations to remember an exceptional Iraqi woman whose work transformed architecture across the world.

Zaha claimed her place internationally, worked without apology, challenged convention, and expanded what architecture—and the role of the architect—could be.

Her significance extended beyond her buildings. She created visibility, shifted perceptions, and demonstrated the power of an uncompromising creative vision. For many Iraqi women, architects, and creatives, her visibility and example mattered.
Looking back ten years later, I am reminded that legacy is carried through the people we influence, the boundaries we move, and the possibilities we leave open for others.

I remain grateful to the Al-Kindi Society for Engineers and the Iraqi organizations that brought this tribute together under the banner of the Iraqi Organisations Coordinating Committee–UK.
The invited speakers included Noaman Muna, former Project Manager for the Central Bank of Iraq project with Zaha Hadid Architects; Ahmed Al- Mallak, founder of the Tamayouz Award for Architecture; and me, then President-Elect of AIA Middle East. A documentary contribution was provided by architect Mohammed Ridha Al-Chalabi of the University of Baghdad.

The event also included an exhibition by Iraqi fine artists interpreting Zaha Hadid’s artistic and architectural vision.
My gratitude extends to the participating organizations:

Association of Iraqi Academics
Iraqi Fine Arts Association
Al-Kindi Society for Engineers
Iraqi Association
Iraqi Women’s League
Iraqi Cultural Forum in Britain
Iraqi Welfare Association
And to every speaker, artist, organizer, and guest who contributed to this memorable tribute.

Zaha Hadid Tribute and Iraqi Fine Artists Exhibition
University College London
27 July 2016

ArchitecturalLegacy IraqiCreatives IraqiArt Architecture DesignLeadership UCL AlKindiSociety RAWNYCArchitects

Ten years ago in London, I was invited to share my story with Zaha Hadid.The tribute at University College London brough...
07/28/2026

Ten years ago in London, I was invited to share my story with Zaha Hadid.

The tribute at University College London brought together Iraqi architects, engineers, artists, and cultural organizations to remember an exceptional Iraqi woman whose work transformed architecture across the world.

Zaha claimed her place internationally, worked without apology, challenged convention, and expanded what architecture—and the role of the architect—could be.

Her significance extended beyond her buildings. She created visibility, shifted perceptions, and demonstrated the power of an uncompromising creative vision. For many Iraqi women, architects, and creatives, her visibility and example mattered.

Looking back ten years later, I am reminded that legacy is carried through the people we influence, the boundaries we move, and the possibilities we leave open for others.

I remain grateful to the Al-Kindi Society for Engineers and the Iraqi organizations that brought this tribute together under the banner of the Iraqi Organisations Coordinating Committee–UK.

The invited speakers included Noaman Muna, former Project Manager for the Central Bank of Iraq project with Zaha Hadid Architects; Ahmed Al- Mallak, founder of the Tamayouz Award for Architecture; and me, then President-Elect of AIA Middle East. A documentary contribution was provided by architect Mohammed Ridha Al-Chalabi of the University of Baghdad.

The event also included an exhibition by Iraqi fine artists interpreting Zaha Hadid’s artistic and architectural vision.

My gratitude extends to the participating organizations:

Association of Iraqi Academics
Iraqi Fine Arts Association
Al-Kindi Society for Engineers
Iraqi Association
Iraqi Women’s League
Iraqi Cultural Forum in Britain
Iraqi Welfare Association

And to every speaker, artist, organizer, and guest who contributed to this memorable tribute.

Zaha Hadid Tribute and Iraqi Fine Artists Exhibition
University College London
27 July 2016

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