Design work on the Bait-ur-Rouf Mosque in Dhaka earned Marina Tabassum her first Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016. Based in Bangladesh, she focuses her practice on structures that respond to environmental challenges. Her career spans decades of teaching and technical innovation, resulting in international recognition for projects ranging from residential housing to significant public monuments.
Early Career and Education
Born in Dhaka in 1968, Tabassum attended Holy Cross Girls School and College before enrolling at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. She graduated with a degree in architecture in 1994. In 1995, she co-founded the firm URBANA alongside Kashef Chowdhury. During the decade the partnership operated, the firm completed multiple projects. In 2005, she transitioned to independent practice by establishing Marina Tabassum Architects, where she currently serves as principal.
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Tabassum’s portfolio includes the Independence Monument and the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka, a project that earned first prize from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 1997. Her residential and hospitality designs include the A5 Residence, the Vacation House at Faridabad, and the Panigram Eco Resort and Spa in Jashore. In 2020, she developed the Khudi Bari project, intended for the chars in Bangladesh's coastal regions. In 2025, she was responsible for the 24th Serpentine Pavilion.
Academic and Institutional Roles
Beyond her practice, Tabassum maintains an extensive teaching career. As of 2025, she holds a professorship in Architectural Design for Climate Adaptation at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Her previous academic appointments include the Gehry Chair at the University of Toronto from 2022 to 2023, as well as positions at Harvard Graduate School of Design, the University of Texas, BRAC University, and the Bengal Institute. She chairs the Foundation for Architecture and Community Equity and the fair trade organization Prokritee, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Awards and Recognition
Tabassum has received numerous accolades for her contributions to the field. She secured a second Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2025 for the Khudi Bari project. Other honors include the Jameel Prize in 2018, the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in 2021, and the Soane Medal in 2021. In 2022, she became the first South Asian recipient of the Lisbon Triennale Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2026, she was honored with the Ekushey Padak.
Fast facts
- Born: 1968, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Education: Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 1994
- Firm: Marina Tabassum Architects
- Aga Khan Award for Architecture: 2016 and 2025
- Ekushey Padak: 2026
- Lisbon Triennale Lifetime Achievement Award: 2022
- Time 100 Most Influential People: 2024
- Languages: English, Bangla
Questions readers ask
What is Marina Tabassum's academic role?
As of 2025, she is a professor of Architectural Design for Climate Adaptation at Delft University of Technology.
Which major awards has she received?
She has received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture twice, the Lisbon Triennale Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2026 Ekushey Padak, among others.
