Latest news with #YasmeenLari
Arab News
29-05-2025
- Arab News
Qatar's ‘Beyti Beytak' exhibition in Venice explores architecture's roots in hospitality
DUBAI: Qatar's first participation in the Venice Biennale of Architecture is a major exhibition spanning two sites in the Italian city — the ACP-Palazzo Franchetti, and the site of what will be the permanent Qatar Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale. (That pavilion will be the first permanent addition to the historic gardens in more than 30 years.) For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The exhibition, 'Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La Mia Casa è la Tua Casa,' is presented by Qatar Museums and curated by the Art Mill Museum — Qatar's yet-to-be-built museum of modern and contemporary art — and, according to a press release 'explores meanings of hospitality within the architecture, urbanism and landscape designs of the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa region.' It features examples from 30 architects, dating from the mid-20th century to the present day. Aurélien Lemonier, architect and curator at the Art Mill Museum, and the exhibition's co-curator, tells Arab News: 'The exhibition reflects on the essence of hospitality, not just as tradition but as a spatial and social practice. It explores how architecture from the MENASA region fosters belonging, dignity, and collective life.' On the permanent pavilion's future site stands a newly commissioned structure by Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan's first female architect and a pioneer of humanitarian design. Her bamboo-and-palm-frond 'Community Center,' created using zero-carbon, low-cost techniques, was developed through the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, which Lari co-founded. The structure exemplifies what she calls Barefoot Social Architecture — a methodology that mobilizes local resources, community labor, and heritage crafts to produce flood- and earthquake-resistant structures, addressing, she has said, 'climate and social justice.' 'When I spoke with Yasmeen,' recalls Lemonier, 'I realized her work is a direct legacy of (Egyptian architect) Hassan Fathy. Like him, she empowers the poor to build their own futures.' The exhibition draws a clear line of continuity from Fathy's radical use of earthen materials and community-led design to Lari's 'barefoot architecture' in Pakistan. 'Fathy taught communities to build with mud brick and vernacular layouts; not only to survive but to thrive,' he says. 'Lari continues that legacy by using architecture as a tool of empowerment.' Lemonier's co-curator Sean Anderson, an associate professor at New York's Cornell University, says: 'For centuries, cities in the MENASA region have been shaped not by individual buildings, but by how people gather, interact, and live together. Today, that wisdom is more relevant than ever, as we witness the planet's transformations, mirrored by technology's drive toward a more collective, yet divided, future.' This spirit is echoed in the main exhibition at Palazzo Franchetti where 'Beyti Beytak' becomes an immersive and archival deep dive into MENASA's architectural richness. Some of the architects featured are being exhibiting in Venice for the first time. The curators' ambition is to capture the continuity across generations — from pioneers such as India's Raj Rewal, Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil of Egypt, Pakistan's Nayyar Ali Dada, and Sri Lanka's Minnette de Silva to contemporary leaders including Palestinian-Jordanian architect Abeer Seikaly, Bangladesh's Marina Tabassum, Sumaya Dabbagh of Saudi Arabia, and Palestine's Dima Srouji. ''Beyti Beytak' is a testament to the architectural heritage and creativity of the Arab world and the Global South,' says Lemonier. 'The future Art Mill Museum was conceived as a multidisciplinary institution, one that will embrace this richness not as a regional footnote but as a core narrative.' The curators have woven together an architectural narrative grounded in civic humanism, tracing three generations of architectural expression through thematic sections that include oases, mosques, museums, housing, and gardens, with a special focus on community centers and urbanism in Doha. 'The selected architects' work forms a chorus of alternative futures; ones where architecture is not a luxury, but a deeply human practice of care, resilience, and place making,' says Anderson. In fact, one of the pavilion's central propositions is that, architecturally, traditional knowledge may offer more-resilient solutions to climate change than high-tech design. 'It's a paradox,' Lemonier admits. 'You'd think triple-glazed facades and cutting-edge systems are more advanced — but mud, lime, and bamboo buildings often perform better in extreme climates. What we see with Yasmeen Lari is a reappropriation of vernacular materiality as climate adaptation.' Throughout the exhibition, the curators draw a sharp line between architectural conceptualism and communal responsibility. 'Architecture is not sculpture,' Lemonier says emphatically. 'It is a social and collective act. The architect must think of themselves not as an artist, but as a participant in a living society.' This ethos is also reflected in the Doha-based segment of the exhibition, where the urbanism of Qatar is framed as humanist and collective. 'Doha offers public parks, civic space, and an architecture of sociability,' Lemonier notes. 'It's not only about the buildings, it's also about the empty spaces that allow a community to gather. It's not about big gestures. It's about how architecture allows a community to live, build with care, with humility, and with others in mind. For me, that's the measure of success in design.' Anderson adds: 'As architects, we hold a responsibility not just to build, but to shape how we gather, connect, and see one another. Architecture isn't static. It's one of the most dynamic ways we experience humanity. This exhibition explores how space can be a vessel for empathy — especially in a time when technology often divides us. Yasmeen Lari's work may be rooted in (Pakistan's province of) Sindh, but its message transcends borders: it asks us to reflect on what it truly means to design for people.' By placing Lari's work in direct dialogue with the legacy of Hassan Fathy and by elevating regional voices too often overlooked, 'Beyti Beytak' challenges dominant norms in global architecture. And it offers a compelling argument: Your home is not just yours — it belongs to the community, the climate, and the culture it serves. For the Arab world and the broader MENASA region, 'Beyti Beytak' positions architects as custodians of culture and agents of justice. 'This exhibition is not just about buildings,' says Lemonier. 'It is about how we live together, how we welcome one another and how we shape a shared future through design.' -ENDS-
Qatar Tribune
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
QM hosts historic ceremonies at 19th Venice Biennale venue
Tribune News Network Doha During the pre-opening events for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Qatar Museums Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani hosted a series of historic ceremonies, discussions and celebrations on May 8, marking Qatar's heightened presence on this pre-eminent stage of the international art world. In Venice's Giardini, the heart of La Biennale di Venezia, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa welcomed Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro, President of La Biennale di Venezia Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and Qatar's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy HE Khalid bin Youssef Khalifa Abdullah Al Sada to the site of the future Qatar Pavilion. When completed, the Qatar Pavilion will be only the third national Pavilion added to the prestigious Giardini in more than fifty years. 'Qatar will join the great chorus of nations in the Giardini, where architecture becomes diplomacy, and beauty speaks peace,' HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said before the invited audience of dignitaries, distinguished guests and media. 'Our Pavilion, crafted by the brilliant Lina Ghotmeh, will embody hospitality, resilience and our collective dreams. 'The Qatar Pavilion will be a home for exchange, for wonder, for the world — a place to engage in multiple dialogues that foster peace and inspire understanding. It will also be the place where we showcase the art, architecture and creativity of Qatar and our entire region of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.' HE Sheikha Al Mayassa then opened the temporary installation that Qatar is presenting on the site: Community Centre, designed by architect Yasmeen Lari/Heritage Foundation of Pakistan. Community Centre is part of the exhibition, 'Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa è la tua casa', Qatar's official presentation in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition continues at ACP-Palazzo Franchetti, where HE Sheikha Al Mayassa later welcomed guests to two discussions organised under the auspices of Qatar Creates and its Evolution Nation initiative, celebrating fifty years of Qatar's cultural journey. Yasmeen Lari, designer of Community Centre, conversed with renowned Indian architect Raj Rewal in a discussion moderated by Sean Anderson, Associate Professor at Cornell University and co-curator of Beyti Beytak. Speaking about the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, Yasmeen Lari said, 'The exhibition's theme of hospitality is about taking care of each other. So it is important to use materials that are not threatening to people and the planet and that have a certain warmth, like the bamboo of Community Centre. The decision by Her Excellency and the curators to bring Community Centre to Venice sends a very powerful message: wealth is not necessarily the criterion. It's how you treat the planet and how you treat the people.' For the second part of the conversations, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa engaged in a discussion about the future Qatar Pavilion with Lina Ghotmeh, founder and principal of the Paris-based studio Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture, moderated by noted architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff. HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said, 'This is a national pavilion that will reflect what Qatar does in the world, which is to support Arab voices across all pursuits—social, economic, and of course creative—and so it is important to have an Arab architect. Our goal is to elevate Arab creatives as well as others from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.' The Qatar Pavilion was conceived by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa with the support and guidance of the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as a major new resource for the nation in its role of fostering dialogue and international exchange through its museums, exhibitions, artist residencies, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations and programmes. Envisioning the Qatar Pavilion in the Giardini as a highly important extension of this commitment, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa had requested a design that would speak to the values and histories that Qatar shares with others across its region while also engaging with the multi-layered fabric of Venice. Following the conversation with Lina Ghotmeh, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa officially opened 'Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa è la tua casa', ushering guests into ACP-Palazzo Franchetti's galleries and inviting them to an evening reception in the Palazzo's garden.
Business Mayor
28-04-2025
- General
- Business Mayor
flood-proof bamboo pavilion anchors yasmeen lari's zero-carbon pono village in pakistan
In the flood-prone region of Sindh, Pakistan, the Juliet Center anchors a prototype development for resilient, community-driven architecture led by Yasmeen Lari. Within the Pono Village, conceived by the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan following the devastating floods of 2022, this new vaulted bamboo pavilion creates a flexible, open space to empower locals. The project has thus been completed by Nyami Studio and Jack Rankin with a social focus, responding directly to the environmental and economic vulnerabilities of the region. Built with traditionally low cost and eco-friendly materials including bamboo, mud, lime, and thatch, the Juliet Center is shaped as a vaulted structure that recalls the domed forms familiar in the region, translating them into a lightweight, sinuous silhouette. Within its open form, the modular pavilion is intended to host spontaneous community gatherings while providing a space for educational workshops, upskilling locals in sustainable building techniques. It supports Lari's wider mission of empowering populations through sustainable, culturally rooted design. all images courtesy of Nyami Studio a vaulted bamboo pavilion for community empowerment Following the devastating floods of 2022, the Pono Village was developed as an experimental zero-carbon settlement — an extension of Yasmeen Lari's exploration of sustainable shelters for marginalized communities who have been displaced by such disasters that have continued to sweep through Sindh. For the Juliet Center too, Lari commissioned London-based Nyami Studio and designer Jack Rankin to create a new focal point for the community, taking into consideration structural longevity and long-term civic empowerment — particularly for women, who are here trained in construction and craftsmanship to support their livelihoods. 'At the heart of the project was a commitment to creating positive social impact,' notes Rankin. 'To support this, we designed a flexible, open-plan space that could serve both the local community and the Heritage Foundation, providing a setting for workshops, talks, and social gatherings.' Read More 500+ Figma, React and Tailwind CSS UI Components The structure consists of two modular vaults arranged on a hexagonal grid, spanning widely to open up to the village without the need for internal columns. Though the space maintains a basic open plan, it remains deliberately flexible for future expansions or replication in other settlements. 'It is for the community to inhabit, adapt, and use in ways that suit their daily lives,' the designer adds. For the construction process, Nyami Studio and Jack Rankin ensured to continue the Heritage Foundation's commitment to preserving and promoting culturally rooted building practices, fusing this with digital design precision to work with the extreme climate, and achieve complex geometries and durability. ' With no locally available methods for steaming or heating bamboo, we bent it by notching and shaping it into formwork,' Rankin shares. Shaping these elements according to pre-calculating angles while integrating local techniques, the formwork was adjusted through trial, error, and close collaboration between the design team and villagers. For the finishing, floors are layered with 10,000 hand-made mud tiles fired in neighboring villages, and a durable, woven thatch roof made of grass harvested locally, offers protection from the extreme heat and rains. Structurally, the design utilizes 2-3′ bamboo members which allows for faster material procurement without compromising on spanning capacity or stability. While the building was still awaiting the completion of a perimeter of tiled steps and a retractable fabric facade when Jack Rankin and Neil Palmer, co-founder of Nyami Studio, departed Pakistan, it had already been embraced by the community. Children turned the Juliet Center into a playground, and adults gathered for afternoon tea, filling the space with life before the final finishes were even implemented. Read More Introducing ⌐◨-◨
Arab News
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari turns down Israel's Wolf Prize over ‘genocide' in Gaza
KARACHI: Renowned Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari has refused to accept the prestigious Wolf Prize 2025 in the field of architecture over the 'continuing genocide' of Palestinians in Gaza, she confirmed on Tuesday. The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel since 1978 to living scientists and artists for their 'achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people.' It is awarded in six fields, including agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics, and an arts prize that rotates between architecture, music, painting and sculpture. Lari, who works in the intersection of architecture and social justice, wrote to Wolf Foundation that she was grateful for the honor, but could not accept it 'in view of the unfortunate continuing genocide in Gaza.' 'I declined the award because of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a reason I explicitly stated in my response to them. Given the current situation in Gaza, accepting the award was out of the question,' she told Arab News. The development came as Israeli fire killed eight people in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, Palestinian officials said on Tuesday, even as a fragile ceasefire with Hamas has largely held. Israel last week suspended supplies of goods and electricity to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians as it tries to pressure Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire, which ended on March 1. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire's more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. Israel's war on Gaza, which began after Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, a majority of them women and children. The 15-month Israeli military campaign has laid waste to the Gaza Strip, destroying hospitals, schools and entire residential neighborhoods. 'Declining the award was the very least I could do,' Lari told Arab News. Lari is known for her socially conscious works on humanitarian grounds and for catering to the spatial needs of Pakistan's most marginalized communities. She co-founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan with her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari, in 1980, and has constructed over 50,000 sustainable self-built shelters and over 80,000 ecological cooking stoves using natural materials like mud, lime, and bamboo. The philanthropic architect, who advocates that traditional construction techniques can lead to low-impact carbon-neutral buildings, was awarded the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects Royal Gold Medal in 2023 for her humanitarian work.
Express Tribune
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pakistani architect Dr Yasmeen Lari refuses Israel's Wolf Prize over Gaza genocide
Lari's refusal follows escalating violence in Gaza, with Israeli fire killing eight Palestinians despite a fragile ceasefire. PHOTO: FILE Listen to article Renowned Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari has turned down the prestigious Wolf Prize 2025 in the field of architecture, citing the "continuing genocide" of Palestinians in Gaza. Lari confirmed her decision on Tuesday, explaining that she could not accept the award due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Wolf Prize, granted annually in Israel since 1978, honors living scientists and artists for their achievements in various fields, including architecture. The award aims to promote "friendly relations among people" through recognition of contributions to humanity. In her letter to the Wolf Foundation, Lari expressed her gratitude for the honor but made it clear that accepting the award was "out of the question" given the situation in Gaza. Lari's refusal comes amid escalating violence in Gaza. In the past 24 hours, Israeli fire killed eight Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials, despite a fragile ceasefire with Hamas. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, many of them women and children. Israel's military campaign, which began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, has led to widespread destruction, including hospitals, schools, and residential areas in the Gaza Strip. The acclaimed architect, known for her socially conscious work, has long advocated for socially responsible architecture, particularly for marginalized communities. She co-founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan in 1980, through which she has helped build sustainable shelters and ecological cooking stoves using natural materials. In 2023, Lari was awarded the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects Royal Gold Medal for her humanitarian contributions. 'I declined the award because of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a reason I explicitly stated in my response to them," Lari said in an interview with Arab News, adding that her decision to turn down the award was "the very least I could do."
