Marina Tabassum, a prominent Bangladeshi architect, is currently attending the “Discourse by the Shore: Tourism Architecture Summit 2025” at Mermaid Beach Resort at Pechar Dwip of Cox’s Bazar held on July 11-12.
At the event, she has turned her focus toward eco-conscious tourism development in Cox’s Bazar, where climate change continues to threaten the region’s natural environment.
Celebrated for her unique approach to architecture that blends heritage with sustainability, Marina Tabassum has been named among TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024, under the “Innovators” category, recognising her impactful contributions to architecture both in Bangladesh and internationally.
One of her most acclaimed works is the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, completed in 2012. Inspired by the architectural principles of the Sultanate era, Tabassum designed the mosque without a traditional dome, opting instead for distinctive columns and an earthen palette. The interplay of light through perforations in the roof and walls has mesmerized visitors, earning her the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture. In 2018, she also received the Jameel Prize for this project.
Tabassum’s portfolio includes co-designing the underground Independence Museum at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, the Comfort Reverie vacation home, the Panigram Eco Resort in Jashore, and resilient housing for Bangladesh’s coastal char areas, which are vulnerable to climate change.
Her influence extends far beyond Bangladesh. In 2021, she was awarded the Soane Medal by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, followed by the Millennium Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lisbon Architecture Triennale in 2022.
Born in Dhaka in 1968 to a family that migrated from India during the 1947 partition, Marina completed her schooling at Holy Cross Girls’ High School and College before earning her degree in architecture from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 1994. She co-founded the architecture firm Urbana with architect Kashef Chowdhury in 1995, working on several significant projects over the next decade. In 2005, she established her practice, Marina Tabassum Architects, where she continues to serve as principal architect.
Alongside her practice, Tabassum has been actively engaged in academia, serving as a visiting professor at BRAC University, teaching at the Asia Pacific University, and speaking at international forums and conferences.
Speaking at the summit, Tabassum emphasized the growing global relevance of eco-tourism in the era of climate change. She noted, “Eco-tourism is gaining wide acceptance both nationally and internationally. In this context, Mermaid Beach Resort is playing an important role in promoting coherent and sustainable tourism in Bangladesh.”
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Hussain Shetu
