\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lari\u2019s Community Center consciously veers between openness and shelter, presented as a domed shelter made entirely of bamboo<\/strong><\/a>, from its structure and arched openings to its decorative geometric motifs. \u2018When you build a structure of this kind, entirely out of natural materials, it has a kind of warmth,\u2019 the architect tells designboom<\/a> during our visit to the structure.<\/strong> \u2018It\u2019s not imposing. It\u2019s very welcoming.\u2019 Read on to discover our conversation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Yasmeen Lari on building for care, community, and the planet<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The installation by Yasmeen Lari is accompanied by a wider presentation under the banner of Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa \u00e8 la tua casa, produced by Qatar Museums and organized by the future Art Mill Museum. Presented at both the Giardini della Biennale and the ACP-Palazzo Franchetti, this marks Qatar\u2019s first official participation in the Venice Architecture Biennale. The theme explores how ideas of hospitality are embedded in the architecture and urban landscapes of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA), while also examining how contemporary design can meet community needs and reimagine belonging.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This notion of hospitality\u2014rooted in warmth, openness, and care\u2014lies at the heart of both the national theme and Lari\u2019s bamboo installation in the Giardini. While the structure continues her decades-long commitment to post-disaster reconstruction and low-carbon architecture as tools for social empowerment and resilience, it also reflects a broader ambition to reframe perceptions of vernacular architecture. The temporary pavilion challenges conventional ideas of what such architecture can be, who can build it, and whom it should serve.\u2018We often call it vernacular architecture, but it could be as mainstream as anything else. It certainly relies on natural materials and the economy. And it\u2019s not extractive in any way,\u2019 Lari shares.<\/strong> \u2018I want to kill this idea that emergency shelters have to be disposable\u2026There\u2019s no need to be destroying any element of them.\u2019\u00a0Assembled without foundations, the structure is also entirely demountable, modular and mobile \u2013 designed to be relocated without generating any waste. \u2018Every little and last part of it can be used,\u2019 the Pakistani architect<\/a> continues. Find the full interview below.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n in conversation with yasmeen lari<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n designboom (DB): Many congratulations on your project with Qatar for its first official participation at the Venice Biennale. How did your collaboration with Qatar come about, and how does this project connect with your ongoing work in post-disaster reconstruction?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Yasmeen Lari (YL):<\/strong> Well, as you know, my work in Pakistan has focused on rebuilding after disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and I found bamboo to be an incredible material because it\u2019s so resilient. I designed prefab panels that could be made locally and easily transported anywhere, and we\u2019ve built at least 10,000 of these shelters just since the floods of 2022.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This opportunity to participate with the Qatar Pavilion came about quite organically. There was an exhibition on Pakistani art in Doha (Manzar: Art and Architecture from Pakistan 1940s to Today), and we were asked to fabricate a structure that could represent Pakistan. The curators were interested in this work, and so the pavilion was built there by my team of semi-skilled artisans. Later, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani decided it should be brought here to Venice when it was announced that Qatar will be opening their permanent pavilion, and they knew they had to place a temporary pavilion here until it was ready. Most of the materials are from Pakistan, though we also used some Tuscan bamboo. It\u2019s been a lot of hard work getting it ready.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n DB: There\u2019s a beautiful resonance between your work and the Qatar Pavilion\u2019s theme this year. Though you originally designed these techniques as emergency shelters, your structures are deeply welcoming and sustainable. How does the idea of \u2018home\u2019 shape your approach to architecture, and how does it come through in this pavilion?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n YL:<\/strong> I think the title of Qatar\u2019s exhibition this year \u2014 Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa \u00e8 la tua casa \u2014 is very meaningful. It\u2019s about home. When you build a structure of this kind, entirely out of natural materials, it has a kind of warmth, and it is very welcoming. The way we have designed this pavilion is also to make it very open. And I always say that I build for the poor, and I always try to create spaces that people can enter without hesitation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s not imposing, and this beautiful setting adds to that, with the trees around us making such a difference as we bring nature into the structure. And I\u2019m very pleased with the way it\u2019s been working. I was told yesterday that there were some birds trying to build a nest on top of the dome. I think that\u2019s fantastic. In my country there is a tradition dating back to the Mughal period where some beautiful structures often included places where birds and insects could nest. So, for architecture to serve people, birds, and the planet, is a very good thing.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n DB: Your sensitivity to openness and accessibility comes through in this setting. Could you also share a bit about the journey that led you here, how you moved from mainstream architectural practice to your focus on marginalized communities and working with vernacular techniques?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n YL: <\/strong>I retired from my private practice in 2000. Early in my career, I was always very sensitive to the poverty in my country and the needs of the marginalized, and I did some small projects in that direction. But, like many architects, once you become known, the commissions get bigger and bigger, and I found myself sucked into a system of creating more for the rich and elite. I\u2019d also already built some major buildings, including the largest structure in Pakistan at the time.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Eventually, there came a time when I felt that there was much more to be done. I started with writing more books, and then when the 2005 earthquake happened, I was working as UNESCO\u2019s national advisor at the Lahore Fort, a beautiful World Heritage site where I had learned a lot about lime construction. I went straight to the affected areas and began building with the debris from the collapsed houses. There was a lot of stone, a lot of wood. And so I began designing seismic-resistant structures. I am still doing this, and it\u2019s amazing how rewarding it is when you work for and with people\u2019s needs, rather than doing it for your ego.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n DB: With all the work you\u2019ve done on vernacular practices and zero-carbon building, how do you think these ideas can find a place in contemporary, urban architecture beyond just rural contexts?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n YL: <\/strong>You know, we often call it vernacular architecture, but it could be as mainstream as anything else. It certainly relies on natural materials and the economy. And it\u2019s not extractive in any way. It\u2019s certainly time that we start looking after the Earth and taking care of its people.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019ve used these designs in a very extensive manner, of course, in areas that have been struck by floods and earthquakes, but I think these are practices that can actually be used anywhere. The shelters can be assembled quickly for immediate shelter, like tents, without foundations. You can dismantle them and take them somewhere else. There\u2019s no waste whatsoever. That\u2019s something I care deeply about. I want to kill this idea that emergency shelters have to be disposable \u2014 there\u2019s no need to be destroying any element of them.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Bamboo, for example, doesn\u2019t require water to produce. There\u2019s no waste, and every little and last part of it can be used. So yes, I think this is something that can be popularized in both rural and urban settings. It can be modular. And even wealthy people could build with these materials \u2014 maybe even in a more elaborate or flamboyant way. My work is comparatively simple and can be built by semi-skilled artisans, but that doesn\u2019t mean bamboo can\u2019t also be part of high-end architecture. There are many different ways to use it. Ultimately, the whole objective for us as architects is to lower the carbon footprint. As it is when we build with industrialized materials and the way in which we build with them, we are damaging the environment in a significant way.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n DB: Despite the simplicity, as you say, I appreciate the ways in which you\u2019ve used materials in the pavilion to weave through decorative elements alongside the construction.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n YL: <\/strong>Yes, those designs come from traditional motifs. They\u2019re part of our Pakistani heritage. And if you look at the tiles in the center of the bamboo, those are made by women who were once beggars who we trained in the ancient craft of terracotta. Terracotta, as you know, is such a beautiful, gentle material. And I don\u2019t understand why we insist on using concrete at all when terracotta serves the purpose so well. When it becomes a little damp and the water evaporates, it cools the air. It has so many wonderful attributes, and certainly we need to stop using stone and steel the way we do. Look at our cities \u2014 we\u2019re creating urban heat islands, flooding, all sorts of issues. But if you look at places like Venice, they still use traditional paving, no concrete, and isn\u2019t it so lovely to walk around the city? There\u2019s so much wisdom in historical cities. We should be learning from these historical cities to give everyone, everywhere, a better life and better health.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n DB: Beyond your pavilion here in Giardini, there\u2019s also the broader Qatar Pavilion exhibition at the Palazzo Franchetti, which takes a wider lens on the idea of home. Have you had a chance to see it? How does it connect to the values you\u2019ve been speaking about?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n YL:<\/strong> They\u2019ve put up a fantastic exhibition there. There\u2019s so much good work. Visionaries like Hassan Fathy \u2014 who has been talking about designing for the poor since the 1940s, about participative work \u2014 are featured alongside so many others who are doing amazing things, including some young architects from across the region. It really gives a sense of how wide-reaching and diverse these conversations around home, sustainability, and community can be. And they are examples that I think should be looked to see how we can move forward and make this more of a mainstream practice.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n name:<\/strong> Community Center<\/p>\n architect:<\/strong> Yasmeen Lari<\/a> | @heritagefoundationpk<\/a><\/p>\n location:<\/strong> Giardini, Venice, Italy<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n name:<\/strong> Beyti Beytak. My Home is Your Home. La mia casa \u00e8 la tua casa \u00a0<\/p>\n program:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Venice Architecture Biennale<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0@labiennale<\/a><\/p>\n dates:<\/strong>\u00a0May 10th \u2014 November 23rd, 2025<\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-10.jpg\")
Yasmeen Lari portrait | image \u00a9 designboom<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-2.jpg\")
installation view of Yasmeen Lari\u2019s Community Centre | image by Giuseppe Miotto \/ Marco Cappelletti Studio<\/a><\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-8.jpg\")
Lari\u2019s Community Center consciously veers between openness and shelter | image by Giuseppe Miotto \/ Marco Cappelletti Studio<\/a><\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-1.jpg\")
the structure is presented as a domed shelter made entirely of bamboo | image by Giuseppe Miotto \/ Marco Cappelletti Studio<\/a><\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-3.jpg\")
the temporary center challenges conventional ideas of what such architecture can be |\u00a0image by Giuseppe Miotto \/ Marco Cappelletti Studio<\/a><\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-11.jpg\")
\u2018it\u2019s not imposing. it\u2019s very welcoming,\u2019 shares Lari |\u00a0image by Giuseppe Miotto \/ Marco Cappelletti Studio<\/a><\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-6.jpg\")
the traditional motifs are part of Lari\u2019s Pakistani heritage |\u00a0image by Giuseppe Miotto \/ Marco Cappelletti Studio<\/a><\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-7.jpg\")
\u2018for architecture to serve people, birds, and the planet, is a very good thing,\u2019 notes the architect |\u00a0image by Giuseppe Miotto \/ Marco Cappelletti Studio<\/a><\/p>\n![\"'it's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/interview-yasmeen-lari-qatar-pavilion-venice-architecture-biennale-designboom-5.jpg\")
the Community Center occupies the future site of Qatar\u2019s permanent national pavilion | image by Giuseppe Miotto \/ Marco Cappelletti Studio<\/a><\/p>\n
commissioner:<\/strong> Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani | @almayassabnthamad<\/a>, Qatar Museums<\/a> | @qatar_museums<\/a>
curators:<\/strong> Aur\u00e9lien Lemonier, Art Mill Museum Curator of Architecture, Design, and Gardens, and Sean Anderson, Associate Professor at Cornell University, assisted by Virgile Alexandre
location:<\/strong> Giardini and ACP-Palazzo Franchetti<\/p>\n