Marina Tabassum | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Tabassum inPinakothek der Moderne, Munich (2023) | |
| Born | 1968 or 1969 (age 56–57) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Alma mater | Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | See full list |
| Website | mtarchitekts |
Marina Tabassum (born 1968 or 1969)[1] is a Bangladeshi architect.[2] She is the principal architect of Marina Tabassum Architects.
Tabassum won theAga Khan Award for Architecture twice - in 2016, for the design ofBait-ur-Rouf Mosque inDhaka and in 2025, for the design of Khudi Bari, in various locations in Bangladesh.[3][4] In 2020, Tabassum was listed byProspect as the third-greatest thinker for theCOVID-19 era, with the magazine writing: "At the forefront of creating buildings in tune with their natural environments, this Bangladeshi architect is also embracing the design challenges posed by what we are collectively doing to the planet."[5] Tabassum was the first South Asian to receive the "Lisbon Triennale Lifetime Achievement Award" (2022). She was named onTime magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2024.[6]
Tabassum was born inDhaka, Bangladesh, the daughter of anoncologist. Her family migrated to Dhaka, Bangladesh from India during thepartition of Bengal in 1947. She attendedHoly Cross Girls School andCollege. She then graduated in architecture fromBangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 1994.[7]
In 1995, Tabassum founded URBANA, an architecture practice based in Dhaka, Bangladesh withKashef Chowdhury.[8][9] The firm designed a number of projects for about ten years.
In 2005, Tabassum established Marina Tabassum Architects, and she serves as its principal architect.[7]
Tabassum designed the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, completed in 2012.[10] She won her firstAga Khan Award for Architecture for this project in 2016.[11]
As of 2025, Tabassum is a professor of Architectural Design for Climate Adaptation at the Department of Architecture atDelft University of Technology, Netherlands.[12] She held the Gehry Chair at theUniversity of Toronto during 2022–2023.[7] She taught inHarvard Graduate School of Design,University of Texas, Bengal Institute andBRAC University.[13]
Tabassum chairs Foundation for Architecture and Community Equity (F.A.C.E) and Prokritee, a fare trade organization.[7] She is a fellow of theRoyal Society of Arts (RSA).[7]
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