What makes something architecture? | Marina Tabassum

Marina Tabassum is a world-renowned Bangladesh architect and educator. Her architecture studio, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), was established in 2005 and has received numerous accolades, including two Aga Khan Awards for Architecture, the first for the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque and the second for a housing solution called Khudi Bari. Marina and her studio also designed the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion. Her projects have significant social impact and are well known for the use of local natural materials and craftsmanship, which creates architecture that is both poetic and purposeful. We sat down with Marina during her recent visit to Australia for Melbourne School of Design's 2026 Dean’s Lecture Series, to speak about the changing perception of what makes something architecture.   Further reading Marina Tabassum’s kinetic 2025 Serpentine Pavilion opens https://architectureau.com/articles/Marina-Tabassums-kinetic-2025-Serpentine-Pavilion-opens/ Architect of 2025 Serpentine Pavilion revealed https://architectureau.com/articles/architect-of-2025-Serpentine-pavilion-revealed/ Architecture for Empowerment https://architectureau.com/calendar/exhibitions/architecture-for-empowerment/