Rashad Shawa Cultural Center, Cultural center in Gaza City, Palestine

The Rashad Shawa Cultural Center was a two-story concrete building with a triangular roof in Rimal, Gaza City. Syrian architect Sa'ad Mohaffel aligned it west-east to ventilate it naturally, added a shaded southern terrace and an open-grid suspended ceiling, and used concrete as the cheapest local material. Laila Shawa designed the stained glass panels in the large foyer and the library.

The building was completed in 1988 as the first cultural center in Palestine and designed by Syrian architect Saad Mahfel. It was named after Gaza's mayor at the time, Rashad Shawa, marking a turning point in the region's cultural infrastructure.

The center was named after Rashad al-Shawa, Gaza's mayor for 11 years. Its Diana Tamari Sabbagh Library held over 100,000 books, and a cultural cafe hosted free book discussions, poetry readings, and English courses. The stained glass panels in the foyer and library were designed by artist Laila Shawa.

The center was destroyed in November 2023 during the Gaza war, so there is no building left to visit; only the site in Rimal, Gaza City, remains. Its library, theater and foyer no longer exist. Check current access conditions to the area before any visit.

The building received a nomination for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1992, one of the world's most prestigious awards for architectural innovation. This recognition highlights the importance of a design that is both functional and culturally meaningful.