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Architectural Books and Collaborations:
Rafiq Azam: Old Dhaka-New Story: Architecture in Bangladesh (Rizzoli, 2025)
a mid-career monograph highlighting architect Rafiq Azam’s sustainable, community-focused projects in Dhaka. Edited by Rosa Maria Falvo with an introduction by Kenneth Frampton, it explores transforming dense, urban spaces into green hubs using his "art of negotiation" philosophy.
Marina Tabassum: Architecture, My Journey
Edited by Cristina Steingräber
Marina Tabassum: Architecture, My Journey is the first book devoted to the Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum and her multifaceted architectural oeuvre. Tabassum’s exploratory approach makes her architectural practice one of the outstanding contemporary positions internationally. This volume presents various public and private building projects that Marina Tabassum has worked on since 1995, first with the architectural office URBANA and since 2005 through Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA). The selection of her architecture in this book ranges from early projects in the city of Dhaka shortly after completing her studies at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), such as the Museum of Independence and the celebrated Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, to recent mobile modular structures called Khudi Bari. Tabassum is establishing the latter for the people affected by displacement in various geographically and climatically challenged locations—both in the Ganges Delta and in the Rohingya refugee camp at Cox’s Bazar on the border to Myanmar, which is currently the largest refugee camp in the world.
With contributions by Sean Anderson, Vera Simone Bader, Kareem Ibrahim, Hanif Kara, Andres Lepik, Nondita Correa Mehrotra, Tanzil Shafique, Cristina Steingräber, Marina Tabassum, Sarah M. Whiting, and Danny Wicakson
Marina Tabassum: Architecture, My Journey is the first book devoted to the Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum and her multifaceted architectural oeuvre. Tabassum’s exploratory approach makes her architectural practice one of the outstanding contemporary positions internationally. This volume presents various public and private building projects that Marina Tabassum has worked on since 1995, first with the architectural office URBANA and since 2005 through Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA). The selection of her architecture in this book ranges from early projects in the city of Dhaka shortly after completing her studies at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), such as the Museum of Independence and the celebrated Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, to recent mobile modular structures called Khudi Bari. Tabassum is establishing the latter for the people affected by displacement in various geographically and climatically challenged locations—both in the Ganges Delta and in the Rohingya refugee camp at Cox’s Bazar on the border to Myanmar, which is currently the largest refugee camp in the world.
With contributions by Sean Anderson, Vera Simone Bader, Kareem Ibrahim, Hanif Kara, Andres Lepik, Nondita Correa Mehrotra, Tanzil Shafique, Cristina Steingräber, Marina Tabassum, Sarah M. Whiting, and Danny Wicakson
Rising Oceans & Spaces That Care: Complexities and ideas behind the Friendship Hospital by Kashef Chowdhury / URBANA in Bangladesh
Niklaus Graber (Editor)
In times of global crises, architecture must also seek new sustainable approaches to climatic and social challenges. Designed by Kashef Chowdhury / Urbana, the Friendship Hospital in southern Bangladesh can be regarded as pioneering in this respect. The hospital, which was awarded the 2022 RIBA International Prize, provides life-saving healthcare, as well as enhancing the identity of a coastal region that has been devastated by cyclones and soil salinisation as a result of rising sea levels.
Constructed in local brickwork, the architecture collects the valuable rainwater and uses the wind for natural cooling, while subtly interacting with specific characteristics of the world’s largest river delta. It also applies universal architectural means such as space, light and proportions to ensure the well-being of patients and the people close to them.
A profound architectural stance developed out of the geography and history of the local context makes this work globally relevant. This book, which includes a photo essay by Hélène Binet, presents plans, diagrams and model photos that offer insight into the design and construction process in one of the world’s most climate-affected regions.
In times of global crises, architecture must also seek new sustainable approaches to climatic and social challenges. Designed by Kashef Chowdhury / Urbana, the Friendship Hospital in southern Bangladesh can be regarded as pioneering in this respect. The hospital, which was awarded the 2022 RIBA International Prize, provides life-saving healthcare, as well as enhancing the identity of a coastal region that has been devastated by cyclones and soil salinisation as a result of rising sea levels.
Constructed in local brickwork, the architecture collects the valuable rainwater and uses the wind for natural cooling, while subtly interacting with specific characteristics of the world’s largest river delta. It also applies universal architectural means such as space, light and proportions to ensure the well-being of patients and the people close to them.
A profound architectural stance developed out of the geography and history of the local context makes this work globally relevant. This book, which includes a photo essay by Hélène Binet, presents plans, diagrams and model photos that offer insight into the design and construction process in one of the world’s most climate-affected regions.
Marina Tabassum Architects SERPENTINE PAVILION 2025 A CAPSULE IN TIME
SERPENTINE PAVILION 2025 A CAPSULE IN TIME: Marina Tabassum Architects
To accompany the Serpentine Pavilion 2025 A Capsule in Time, designed by Marina Tabassum and her firm, Marina Tabassum Architects, Serpentine has co-published a catalogue with Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz Konig, Köln.
Designed by Wolfe Hall, it brings together new and insightful contributions from the fields of architecture and art to reflect on Tabassum’s Pavilion and wider practice. Generously illustrated in colour throughout, it features essays by editor and curator Shumon Basar; architect, educator and Dean of Yale School of Architecture Deborah Berke; art and architecture historian Perween Hasan; architect, writer and critic Thomas de Monchaux; and experimental visual contributions from artists Rana Begum and Naeem Mohaiemen.
Alongside these contributions, it features drawings from Tabassum’s sketchbook whilst designing the Pavilion; a photo essay by Iwan Baan; a conversation with David Chipperfield; and an in-depth interview with Serpentine Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist.
£28
Published by: Serpentine and Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz Konig, Köln
Edited by: Chris Bayley
Contributors: Iwan Baan, Shumon Basar, Rana Begum, Deborah Berke, David Chipperfield, Perween Hasan, Naeem Mohaiemen, Thomas de Monchaux, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Marina Tabassum
To accompany the Serpentine Pavilion 2025 A Capsule in Time, designed by Marina Tabassum and her firm, Marina Tabassum Architects, Serpentine has co-published a catalogue with Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz Konig, Köln.
Designed by Wolfe Hall, it brings together new and insightful contributions from the fields of architecture and art to reflect on Tabassum’s Pavilion and wider practice. Generously illustrated in colour throughout, it features essays by editor and curator Shumon Basar; architect, educator and Dean of Yale School of Architecture Deborah Berke; art and architecture historian Perween Hasan; architect, writer and critic Thomas de Monchaux; and experimental visual contributions from artists Rana Begum and Naeem Mohaiemen.
Alongside these contributions, it features drawings from Tabassum’s sketchbook whilst designing the Pavilion; a photo essay by Iwan Baan; a conversation with David Chipperfield; and an in-depth interview with Serpentine Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist.
£28
Published by: Serpentine and Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz Konig, Köln
Edited by: Chris Bayley
Contributors: Iwan Baan, Shumon Basar, Rana Begum, Deborah Berke, David Chipperfield, Perween Hasan, Naeem Mohaiemen, Thomas de Monchaux, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Marina Tabassum
Spatial (In) Justice: How Does It Manifest in the Built Environment?
Editor: Dr. Adnan Zillur Morshed
Explores how spatial justice shapes equitable, empowering, and inclusive experiences
In an era increasingly defined by questions of equity and inclusion, Spatial (In) Justice: How Does It Manifest in the Built Environment? offers a vital, global interrogation of how architecture and planning impact the lived experiences of marginalized communities. Edited by Adnan Zillur Morshed, this timely volume brings together contributions from 30 leading thinkers and practitioners—architects, planners, scholars, and designers—who reflect on the ethical and philosophical responsibilities of those who shape space.
Rather than offering simplistic answers or prescriptive solutions, this book explores the complex and often contradictory ways justice is interpreted and enacted through space. The essays examine built projects from around the world to ask whether design can foster dignity, hope, and community empowerment—and how design education must evolve to foreground these values. The contributing authors grapple with the mechanisms through which spatial practices can exclude, disempower, or uplift, addressing topics ranging from justice in the city to the politics of community engagement. Throughout the book, the essays advance a critical pedagogy of design—one that scrutinizes how space organizes power and shapes human possibility.
A far-reaching examination of how built environments can either reinforce or resist social injustice, this innovative volume:
Provides a compelling framework to understand justice not just as a legal or moral abstraction, but as a tangible, constructed reality embedded in our daily environments
Offers in-depth critical reflections on spatial justice across both the Global North and Global South
Engages with interdisciplinary voices beyond traditional design fields, such as environmentalists, social scientists, and urban theorists
Incorporates real-world examples of justice-oriented design in rural, urban, and transitional spaces
Contextualizes three decades of social justice movements within spatial and urban practice
Raises timely philosophical and pedagogical questions about equity in design education
Investigating the intersection of infrastructure, social reform, and public space through a justice-centered framework, Spatial (In) Justice: How Does It Manifest in the Built Environment? is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses in architecture, urban design, city planning, urban sociology, and public health. It is well-suited for degree programs in architecture, urban studies, environmental design, social policy, and public administration.
Explores how spatial justice shapes equitable, empowering, and inclusive experiences
In an era increasingly defined by questions of equity and inclusion, Spatial (In) Justice: How Does It Manifest in the Built Environment? offers a vital, global interrogation of how architecture and planning impact the lived experiences of marginalized communities. Edited by Adnan Zillur Morshed, this timely volume brings together contributions from 30 leading thinkers and practitioners—architects, planners, scholars, and designers—who reflect on the ethical and philosophical responsibilities of those who shape space.
Rather than offering simplistic answers or prescriptive solutions, this book explores the complex and often contradictory ways justice is interpreted and enacted through space. The essays examine built projects from around the world to ask whether design can foster dignity, hope, and community empowerment—and how design education must evolve to foreground these values. The contributing authors grapple with the mechanisms through which spatial practices can exclude, disempower, or uplift, addressing topics ranging from justice in the city to the politics of community engagement. Throughout the book, the essays advance a critical pedagogy of design—one that scrutinizes how space organizes power and shapes human possibility.
A far-reaching examination of how built environments can either reinforce or resist social injustice, this innovative volume:
Provides a compelling framework to understand justice not just as a legal or moral abstraction, but as a tangible, constructed reality embedded in our daily environments
Offers in-depth critical reflections on spatial justice across both the Global North and Global South
Engages with interdisciplinary voices beyond traditional design fields, such as environmentalists, social scientists, and urban theorists
Incorporates real-world examples of justice-oriented design in rural, urban, and transitional spaces
Contextualizes three decades of social justice movements within spatial and urban practice
Raises timely philosophical and pedagogical questions about equity in design education
Investigating the intersection of infrastructure, social reform, and public space through a justice-centered framework, Spatial (In) Justice: How Does It Manifest in the Built Environment? is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses in architecture, urban design, city planning, urban sociology, and public health. It is well-suited for degree programs in architecture, urban studies, environmental design, social policy, and public administration.
Concrete Jungle: Tropical Architecture and its Surprising Origins
Editor: Gastalten
Combine concrete’s stoicism with luscious vegetative environments and you get to the language of tropical modernism. In continuity with its founding principles from the mid 20th century, today’s architectural visionaries renew the use of raw materials, such as exposed concrete, to explore functionality rather than aesthetics. No matter if works are created in total symbiosis with the tropical landscape or surrounded by flourishing nature, Concrete Jungle presents the dichotomy of the rough material being softened by interaction with the interior and exterior. When gray meets green a never ending range of impressions awakens.
Combine concrete’s stoicism with luscious vegetative environments and you get to the language of tropical modernism. In continuity with its founding principles from the mid 20th century, today’s architectural visionaries renew the use of raw materials, such as exposed concrete, to explore functionality rather than aesthetics. No matter if works are created in total symbiosis with the tropical landscape or surrounded by flourishing nature, Concrete Jungle presents the dichotomy of the rough material being softened by interaction with the interior and exterior. When gray meets green a never ending range of impressions awakens.
The July Resolve
Editor: Rezwan Rahman
The July Resolve: Hidden Faces of a Nation's Uprising, edited by Rezwan Rahman and published by The University Press Limited (UPL), is a 2026 anthology documenting the 2024 Bangladesh Monsoon Revolution. Launched on January 10, 2026, at Bookworm Bangladesh, it features 36 narratives detailing the resilience, sacrifices, and struggles of students, workers, and citizens during the uprising.
The July Resolve: Hidden Faces of a Nation's Uprising, edited by Rezwan Rahman and published by The University Press Limited (UPL), is a 2026 anthology documenting the 2024 Bangladesh Monsoon Revolution. Launched on January 10, 2026, at Bookworm Bangladesh, it features 36 narratives detailing the resilience, sacrifices, and struggles of students, workers, and citizens during the uprising.
Inclusive Architecture: Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022
Sarah M. Whiting (Editor), Farrokh Derakhshani (Foreword), Aga Khan Award for Architecture (Narrator)
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022 – Inclusive Architecture
The release of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture every three years is an enormously important moment for the architecture world. The projects recognized by this Award represent the vanguard of thinking and practice in architecture that goes beyond the regular scope of building, planning and preservation through its strong impact on the needs and aspirations of societies. This publication presents the twenty shortlisted projects, including the six recipients of the 2020–22 cycle of the Award.
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s mandate is different from that of many other architecture prizes: it not only rewards architects but also identifies municipalities, builders, clients, artisans and engineers who have played essential roles in the realization of a project. This publication thus presents the projects from various viewpoints alongside detailed and up-to-date images and descriptions.
The acclaimed, interdisciplinary master jury and steering committee of this cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture that determines the projects presented include David Chipperfield, Francis Kéré, Anna Lacaton, Marina Tabassum, and Sarah M. Whiting, to name but a few. Scholarly essays across various disciplines from members of the master jury and steering committee round out the publication. Contributions include a text on the optimism of humanity by Souleymane Bachir Diagne, director of the Institute of African Studies, Columbia University, and a contextualization of Modern Architecture in the Muslim World by Sibel Bozdoğan of Boston University. Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, director-general of the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, writes on the perspective of the dialogical, while Nasser Rabbat, the Aga Khan Professor at MIT, shares notes on architecture as a humanist empire. The texts also include a Salon des Refusés by Nader Teherani, founding principal of Boston-based architecture firm NADAAA.
The texts, which come from a wide range of geographies, are informative and descriptive, often striking an emotional note. Together with the project presentations, the publication thereby guides the reader through a contemplation of an architectural question of increasing urgency in our current times of crisis: how to build ethically for our shared global future.
With contributions by Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, Sibel Bozdoğan, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Farrokh Derakhshani, Nasser Rabbat, Nader Teherani, and Sarah M. Whiting.
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022 – Inclusive Architecture
The release of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture every three years is an enormously important moment for the architecture world. The projects recognized by this Award represent the vanguard of thinking and practice in architecture that goes beyond the regular scope of building, planning and preservation through its strong impact on the needs and aspirations of societies. This publication presents the twenty shortlisted projects, including the six recipients of the 2020–22 cycle of the Award.
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s mandate is different from that of many other architecture prizes: it not only rewards architects but also identifies municipalities, builders, clients, artisans and engineers who have played essential roles in the realization of a project. This publication thus presents the projects from various viewpoints alongside detailed and up-to-date images and descriptions.
The acclaimed, interdisciplinary master jury and steering committee of this cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture that determines the projects presented include David Chipperfield, Francis Kéré, Anna Lacaton, Marina Tabassum, and Sarah M. Whiting, to name but a few. Scholarly essays across various disciplines from members of the master jury and steering committee round out the publication. Contributions include a text on the optimism of humanity by Souleymane Bachir Diagne, director of the Institute of African Studies, Columbia University, and a contextualization of Modern Architecture in the Muslim World by Sibel Bozdoğan of Boston University. Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, director-general of the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, writes on the perspective of the dialogical, while Nasser Rabbat, the Aga Khan Professor at MIT, shares notes on architecture as a humanist empire. The texts also include a Salon des Refusés by Nader Teherani, founding principal of Boston-based architecture firm NADAAA.
The texts, which come from a wide range of geographies, are informative and descriptive, often striking an emotional note. Together with the project presentations, the publication thereby guides the reader through a contemplation of an architectural question of increasing urgency in our current times of crisis: how to build ethically for our shared global future.
With contributions by Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, Sibel Bozdoğan, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Farrokh Derakhshani, Nasser Rabbat, Nader Teherani, and Sarah M. Whiting.
Architecture as Freedom
Curated and Written by Dr. Adnan Zillur Morshed
The work centers on the idea that architecture can "spatialize a spirit of freedom" and hope for those living in extreme poverty. It documents the design and construction of several regional offices for BRAC (the world's largest NGO) across rural Bangladesh.
The work centers on the idea that architecture can "spatialize a spirit of freedom" and hope for those living in extreme poverty. It documents the design and construction of several regional offices for BRAC (the world's largest NGO) across rural Bangladesh.
DOMa Magazine Issue 07
In DOMa 07, WORKac conduct a model-photos diary for 'RISD Student Center', with different layouts and additions to an existing building at the Rhode lsland School of Design. Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects indicate eleven successive stages in the development of the spatial concept for 'National Taichung Theatre'. Kashef Chowdhury / URBANA introduce their architecture by pairing their projects 'ULAB' & 'Friendship Centre', as a response to the local conditions of Bangladesh. Arge Summacumfemmer and Büro Juliane Greb share background information from the participatory design process of 'San Riemo', a cooperative residential building in Munich-Riem. Tatiana Bilbao Estudio explore fill-in strategies for a given excavated site at Έstoa, University of Monterrey'.
RIBA International Prize 2021 Shortlist Projects Announced | ARCHEYES
Three exceptional architecture projects from around the globe were revealed on the 16th of November 2021 as this year shortlist projects...
Nov 17, 20211 min read
RIBA reveals three shortlisted projects for the 2021 International Prize | dezeen
A community hospital in Bangladesh, a cycle and pedestrian bridge in Denmark and a cultural site in Berlin have been shortlisted by the...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
Meet the 2021 RIBA International Prize shortlist | Wallpaper*
The 2021 RIBA International Prize shortlist has been unveiled – following the celebration of the 2021 RIBA International Awards for...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
RIBA Announces 2021 International Prize Shortlist | Archdaily
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced its shortlist for the 2021 International Prize, a prestigious biennial...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
RIBA ANNOUNCES ITS 2021 INTERNATIONAL PRIZE SHORTLIST | METALOCUS
RIBA have announced its 2021 International Prize shortlist, three project which have been selected from the RIBA International Awards for...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
Bangladesh hospital shortlisted for 2021 British architectural prize | The National News
Acommunity hospital in Bangladesh is one of three sites shortlisted by the Royal Institute of British Architects for its 2021...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
Architect Marina Tabassum on her journey from bricks to bamboo | Financial Times
A million Rohingya refugees, crowded in and around the city of Cox’s Bazar in south-eastern Bangladesh, have created a very specific set...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
RIBA shortlists Chipperfield for 2021 International Prize | Building Design
David Chipperfield Architects’ £120m James Simon Galerie in Berlin is one of the three finalists revealed today for the RIBA...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
RIBA 2021 shortlist for the world’s best new building | domus
The Royal Institute of British Architects has announced the architecture projects in the running for the RIBA International Prize 2021,...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
RIBA Announces Three Shortlisted Projects For RIBA International Prize 2021 | World Architecture
The Royal Institute of British Architects has announced the shortlist for the 2021 International Prize, a prestigious biennial award...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
রিবা আন্তর্জাতিক স্থাপত্য পুরস্কারের সংক্ষিপ্ত তালিকায় সাতক্ষীরার হাসপাতাল | bdnews24.com
রিবা আন্তর্জাতিক পুরস্কারে ‘বিশ্বের সেরা নতুন ভবনের’ সংক্ষিপ্ত তালিকায় স্থান করে নিয়েছে বাংলাদেশের সাতক্ষীরার শ্যামনগর উপজেলার ফ্রেন্ডশিপ...
Nov 16, 20211 min read
riba-announces-2021-international-prize-shortlist | bustler
Friendship Hospital by Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA © Asif Salman "The hospital is arranged around a series of intimate courtyards, which...
Nov 15, 20211 min read
Building Bangladesh: A New Wave of Cultural Projects | Archdaily
Bangladesh has built a new wave of cultural architecture over the last decade. Tied to design influences from across the Bengal region...
Oct 19, 20211 min read
25 Emerging Architectural Photographers from Around the Globe | ArchDaily
Architectural photography has developed into its own art form, and it might be as important as the built work itself. We consume...
Aug 19, 20211 min read
Winners of International Awards for Excellence 2021 announced by RIBA | Rethinking The Future
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a globally renowned chartered membership to a professional society, for architects...
Aug 3, 20211 min read
Discover The Winners Of The RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2021 | Architectural Digest
Recognising the most significant and inspirational buildings of the time, the RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2021 feature a...
Jul 27, 20211 min read
FRIENDSHIP HOSPITAL WINS RIBA AWARD | Friendship NGO
Friendship Hospital Shyamnagar (FHS) has been named one of 16 winners of the RIBA International Award for Excellence 2021, conferred by...
Jul 25, 20211 min read
The Winners of the 2021 RIBA International Awards for Excellence | Commercial Architecture
The Royal Institute of British Architects recently announced the winners of the RIBA International Awards for Excellence in 2021. Source:...
Jul 23, 20211 min read
Friendship Hospital Satkhira wins RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2021 | The Business Stand
Sixteen projects from 11 different countries were selected for their ability to “exemplify design excellence and architectural ambition...
Jul 23, 20211 min read
Friendship Hospital in Shyamnagar | RIBA
Photo: Asif Salman The Friendship Hospital in Bangladesh designed by Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA will be awarded the RIBA International Prize...
Jul 22, 20211 min read
RIBA Names 16 Winners of Its 2021 International Awards for Excellence | Architectural Record
On Thursday, July 22, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) revealed the 16 buildings it deems among the world’s most...
Jul 22, 20211 min read
Shortlist unveiled for 2021 RIBA International Prize | Architecture Today
The three projects shortlisted for this year’s RIBA International Prize are the James-Simon-Galerie in Berlin by David Chipperfield...
Jun 30, 20211 min read
Friendship Hospital Satkhira / Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA
The hospital is situated in a predominantly rural area that had been heavily affected by a major cyclone just a few years ago. In this...
Jun 23, 20211 min read
Shikor Country House in Bangladesh revels in the simple charm of rural architecture
Realised almost entirely in exposed brick, this country home by Spatial Architects is built as a rural retreat for a local family, and...
Mar 26, 20211 min read
Talks by Asif Salman
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