Foyez Ullah

Tis books studies the nature of the relationship between the legendary architect Foyez Ullah, and Bangladesh’ capital city, Dhaka. On occasion, an artist is not only from, but of, a place. Imbued with the very spirit of a locale, and thus inspired to return the favour. Such is the nature of the relationship between the legendary architect Foyez Ullah, and Bangladesh’ capital city, Dhaka. Dhaka is a city rich with history; borne of eclecticism, and her tremendous growth post-independence has been extraordinary, both culturally and architecturally. From the early Mughal architecture to the Indo-Saracenic style of the colonial era, to the sheets of steel and glass that characterize a modern metropolis, there’s an aesthetic battle for the city’s very soul being waged. Dhaka is a city rich with history; borne of eclecticism, and her tremendous growth postindependence has been extraordinary, both culturally and architecturally. From the early Mughal architecture to the Indo-Saracenic style of the colonial era, to the sheets of steel and glass that characterize a modern metropolis, there’s an aesthetic battle for the city’s very soul being waged. Foyez Ullah has played an active role in this conversation for nearly three decades, weaving a tapestry of work within Dhaka’s realm that declutters her chaotic whims and sets revealing insight into contextspecific architectural response. Through a series of his architectural benchmarks, as well as texts from the architectural critics Vladimir Belogolovsky and Byron Hawes, this volume posits a framework for responsive and contextual architecture for Dhaka in the 21st century.