One of the First, One of the Greats
Yasmeen Lari is the first female architect of Pakistan and is arguably one of the most successful architects to provide vernacular disaster relief architecture in the world.
Today she is known as an architect, architectural historian, conservationist, and philanthropist.
Today she is known as an architect, architectural historian, conservationist, and philanthropist.
The Beginning of a Great Career
As a young, fresh, out-of-school, brash architect, having been taught to value and cherish an inflated ego, in my inspired wisdom I presumed that only I had the creativity and the design solutions - only I knew how to create what the clients needed.
Yasmeen Lari studied architecture at Oxford School of Architecture (now Oxford Brookes University) then returned to Karachi, Pakistan. She was elected into the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1969. Upon returning to Pakistan, Lari strived to be one of the greats. Aspiring as such, in 1978 she was elected as President of the Institute of Architects, as well as Pakistan and Deputy Chairman of ARCASIA (Architects Regional Council of Asia), and, in 1983, she became the chairperson for the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners (PCATP). She worked hard to bring meaning to the name Architect and Urban Planner in Pakistan.
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Also, during the days of my studies, there was never a discourse on the issues confronted by the developing world. Clearly, we were being trained as architects to serve a sophisticated, highly industrialized society– the so-called First World. |
Understanding Place
A few years in to her practice, Lari continued to challenge the mindset of architects and politicians alike. She questioned why architects build to meet the needs and standards of the Western cultures instead of pursuing their own cultural identity. She questioned why foreign architects were hired to design and build to suit the needs of foreign tourists instead of domestic tourists. Through the design of buildings by foreign architects a style developed known as "instant Islamic" that tended to be built to please tourists and foreigners rather than the local peoples.
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We ought to question the validity of so-called symbols of progress, particularly in the context of high-rise buildings and comparable engineering feats: they abound in the West, but are they suitable, appropriate, and relevant to us? |
Below is a list of a few of Lari's standards on how architecture should follow Islamic Heritage:
- Islam teaches humility, so buildings were kept low to denote a rejection of luxury and ostentation. The construction of big buildings was considered synonymous with pride and arrogance. |
Throughout Lari's practice she always had good sense to ask questions about the philosophy of why things were done the way they were done and if that was the right answer to the current situation.
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We don't have many good architects in Pakistan, but unless they are allowed to become involved in the major projects in their own cities, how are they going to get better?