Muqarnas & Ribbed Dome

These two images are of an on-going residential project on Bedian Road in Lahore. The dome in the lower half of the first picture shows a first attempt at a 'ribbed' dome and a type of Muqarnas being developed by Kamil Sahib these days [covered in an earlier post ]. The dome in the upper half, finished recently, shows a much improved result. The second image at the bottom is of this more recent dome.

Photos by Raazia (final year student at NCA interning at the office these days) from a site visit of 13.5.2010.

Today's Site Visit to Sally Town Mosque

We are very fortunate to have as calligraphers for the mosque two young calligraphers of international standing - Mohammad Ali Zahid of Pakistan and Nuria Garcia of Spain. The Calligraphy in these photos is by Calligrapher Nuria Garcia. She won a Mention award in Sülüs script, at the Al Burda Competition, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. earlier this year. Interestingly Mohammad Ali Zahid also won a Mention Award in the same competition.

The Gold-leafing is being done by Irfan Qureshi of Gujranwala, a calligrapher and designer himself. While the Qalib-Qari plaster relief was executed by the venerable and accomplished master-mason Ustad Jafar. The Fresco Naqqashi and Pucca Qali (white lime plaster) is being executed by Ustad Rafaqat, the last of the Fresco painters of Pakistan. He is assisted by his sons and pupils.

What is Tradition?

In view of the fact that KKM Architects are guided in their approach to design by the Traditional Philosophy of Art we would like to include on this blog, posts on this Philosophy and the larger World-view which informs it. As an introduction we would like to address the question of what one means by the word "Tradition". Hence the following post of Seyyed Hossein Nasr's talk clarifying the term and its related ideas.

Video: 

S. H. Nasr:

"The Recovery of the Sacred: 

Tradition and Perennialism in the Contemporary World"

The above talk was given at the Sacred Web Conference on "Tradition in the Modern World" held in Edmonton at The University of Alberta, September 2006. In the talk, he explains central Traditionalist terms, concepts, and contributions, including "the sense of the sacred," Tradition, scientism, Beauty, metaphysics, and the important role of Tradition in current times. 

Link to Video

Breakfast at Dawn: Kamil Khan Mumtaz

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPgGHrYfbhM

Anjuman Mimaran

The Following Article focuses on the Anjuman Mimaran's work between 2000 and 2005. 


Anjuman Mimaran, Pakistan
By Taimoor Khan
The Anjuman Mimaran is a non-profit society dedicated to raising the standards of architectural design and building construction in Pakistan. By restoring the historical link between architect and craftsman and by developing a profound understanding of our heritage and traditions the Anjuman Mimaran seeks to establish a sound basis for evolving an Architecture which is both rooted in our culture and is meaningful and relevant to the realities of our time. 

Door Designed by Anjuman Mimaran, Lahore, 2000 >

The Anjuman Mimaran (Architects' Guild) was formed in 1988 in Lahore by a group of dedicated architects, engineers and building craftsmen. A Board of Governors manages the affairs of the society, while a full-time coordinator and assistant-coordinator manage the Anjuman's activities.
In pursuance of its stated objectives the Anjuman's activities over the past seventeen years have included, field trips, seminars, exhibitions, publications, conservation, restoration, design and construction work.
An initial aim of the Anjuman was the establishment of 

a school of building arts, but it was immediately recognized that the first priority would have to be given to research. A regular monthly colloquium for persons actively engaged in research into the architectural heritage of the region was organized.

The rest of the article and related links can be seen at: http://www.lestariheritage.net/pakistan/index.html

NED Workshop: 23rd - 28th Feb. 2010: Geometrical Proportioning in the Traditional Architecture of Pakistan