Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum has been awarded the 2021 Soane Medal in recognition of her "architecture of relevance".
Tabassum, the founder and principal architect of Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), was born and works in Bangladesh and is known for her sustainable architecture which aims to improve the lives of the country's ultra-low-income people.
One of Soane Medal-winning Marina Tabassum's best-known works is the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka. Photo by Sandro Di Carlo Darsa
One of her best-known works is the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, which features perforated brickwork so that sun and air can reach its prayer hall, and which won Tabassum the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016.
A jury of leading architects and critics chose Tabassum as the winner of this year's Soane Medal, which recognises practitioners who further understanding of the importance of architecture in people's lives. The mosque has perforated brickwork that lets air and sunshine into the prayer hall. Photo by Sandro Di Carlo Darsa
Tabassum "consistently demonstrates the ways in which architecture can improve lives and her work with Rohingya Refugees at Cox?s Bazaar showcases the potential of architects to contribute to solving the problems society faces today," said jury chair and Sir John Soane's Museum director Bruce Boucher.
"From her Bait ur Rouf Mosque to Dhaka's Independence Monument, Tabassum has created buildings which bring communities together and foster a dist...