Architectural identity

The material image or architecture of any place is moulded by its people and formed by the collective ideology of its inhabitants. Throughout the world, architectural features portray the architectural image of a society and its people. It is one of the reasons how we are able to associate a building to a certain part of the world. This material impression cannot be created in years or even decades but is shaped by centuries-old evolution in society and the subtle transition from historic ties to modern globalization.

Today, with the help of global exposure and technology, one with an eye to these details wonders what is or could be the architectural identity of Pakistan? I fear that with continuous increase in building and construction practices in the last few decades and with the rising real-estate trend in the absence of an authoritative sensible national body, we are deforming the material identity of our country. A common eye can experience a variety of senseless blunt features on facades and extravagant structures every day. We need to question our development authorities and especially the growing number of architectural schools about the role they are playing in this increasing wave of construction. Does this unsupervised practice conform to our national distinctiveness or end up depicting a chaotic bland of competing structures and tiled elevations? Most importantly, what would be the architectural identity of our nation once we run out of land and resources to construct any further?

Muhammad Umair Ajmal

Lahore