TIME places BD architect in its list of 100 most influential people

The New York City - based American news magazine Time has named noted Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum in its list of 100 most influential people for her contributions to the field of innovation.

Known for her contributions to environmentally sustainable design, Tabassums approach to architecture breaks from commercialism and is rooted in local communities and serving the needs of common people.

"Tabassums altruism even extends to buildings themselves. She cares for her creations as creatures partaking in the resources of our earth: describing her Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which won the prestigious Aga Khan Award, she said a building has to be able to breathe without artificial aids," Time said Wednesday night.
"Elsewhere in the country, which faces increased flood risks due to climate change, she has developed houses that are cost-effective and easy to move-clearly, buildings shouldn just breathe; they should avoid getting their feet wet.

While she practices very locally, she teaches, lectures, and is recognized internationally, modeling architecture not as an individual signature but as a collective Esperanto."

Tabassums work was previously honoured with the 2016 Aga Khan Award for Architecture and by the American Academy of Arts and Letters Awards in 2021.

She was named as the winner of the Millennium Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2022.