Two-time Aga Khan Award winner Architect Marina Tabassum honoured

Architect Marina Tabassum, Bangladesh's only two-time winner of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, was honoured last night at a ceremony jointly organised by Ceramic Bangladesh Magazine, published by the Ceramic Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BCMEA), and ArchiConnect, a buildtech platform.

The internationally renowned architect delivered a keynote titled "Between Erosion and Emergence" at the Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel, where she reflected on the projects that earned her global acclaim.

Marina won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the first time in 2016 for Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, which was completed in 2012 on the outskirts of Dhaka.

"Built with locally sourced brick and devoid of traditional Islamic iconography, it offers a contemplative space where worshippers are bathed in natural light," she said at the event. "The structure is not just a place of prayer—it's a refuge for a dense, underserved neighbourhood."

She also highlighted one of her most celebrated recent projects, Khudi Bari, a modular, lightweight shelter designed for ultra-low-income populations. The structure, made of bamboo and corrugated metal, can be assembled quickly and relocated as needed.

In 2025, Khudi Bari earned Tabassum her second Aga Khan Award for Architecture, making her the only Bangladeshi architect to win the honour twice.

Later in the event, a panel discussion was held on "Marina Tabassum and the Aga Khan Award Legacy", moderated by Architect Mahmudul Anwar Riyaad, principal designer and director of DWM4 Architects.

Distinguished panelists included Architect Professor Fuad Hassan Mallick, dean of the School of Architecture and Design (SoAD) at BRAC University; Architect Professor Zainab Faruqui Ali, chairperson of the Department of Architecture at BRAC University; and Architect Nahas Ahmed Khalil, principal designer at ARC Architectural Consultants.

The event concluded with closing remarks by Moynul Islam, president of BCMEA.