The concept of identity is complex and at the same time ambiguous. Architectural identity, however, is even more complex. This stems from the fact that architecture is the mirror that reflects the different political, cultural, social and economic factors that are shaping the city. In this research, Khartoum, the capital of Sudan is chosen as a case study to explore its contemporary architectural identity. Initial findings from interviewing different parties in the city including architects, academicians and planners highlighted the significant conflict in expressing the Sudanese architectural identity in contemporary architecture. This resulted in a total disregard in considering it in both urban and architectural design processes. While the majority of interviewed participants realised this, only a few undertook certain design approaches to confront it. Therefore, this research argues that it is necessary to confront the ambiguity of architectural identity by simplifying its complexity. In order to achieve this, simpler topics such as the architectural character and architectural features are introduced then explored as ways to interpret architectural identity more objectively. It could be concluded that addressing the complexity of architectural identity will provide important answers for the future of any contemporary architecture including that of Khartoum.
