Lahore University of Management Sciences
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40 MIMAR 37 LAHORE UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES Murlidhar Dawani Project Data he Lahore University of 1990. The first phase of development Client: The National Management Management Sciences, a includes the Graduate School of Business Foundation. T privately funded and run Administration and the Executive Architects: Habib Fida Ali, Husnain Lotia, University devoted to Manage Development Centre, which offers Ali Naqvi, Mansoor Ghanchi ment and Business Administration is intensive short duration specialized Structural Consultants: Progressive currently located in rented premises in courses for business executives and Consultants, Lahore. Gulberg, a residential but increasingly working professionals. Electrical Consultants: M. Ayub and commerical suburb of Lahore. To fulfil The GSBA is located in a large two Associates, Karachi. their aims in establishing a centre of storeyed 150,000 square foot building. Mechanical Consultants: A. Saadat and excellence rivalling the finest in the world, Cruciform in shape, this building Company, Karachi. the University acquired a parcel ofland of comprises the business school featuring Phase I: Academic Block, Student some 60 acres on the outskirts of the city. lecture halls, discussion rooms, faculty Housing (3 blocks). The plot of land has been . divided offices, cafeteria, as well as the university's Site Area: 60 acres. roughly into three major parallel sectors. administrative areas. These areas, Academic Block Area: 150,000 sq. ft. The- central sector is the teaching area, separated according to function, are in Student Housing Area: with the Graduate School of Business four wings grouped around a central 13,156 x 3 floor = 3~,468 sq. ft. Administration in the first phase to be courtyard. Housing blocks for some 200 39,468 x 3 block = 118,404 sq. ft. built now, and space for future faculties students will also be built in the first Cost: Rupees 150 million = US$ 6.50 all around it. To one side is the student phase. A typical block, two and three million. housing, and on the other, housing for storeys, consists of single rooms arranged Completion: Phase I: Academic block, faculty and staff. around courtyards. Student housing (3 blocks): 1992. Construction will begin in December All the buildings are planned as low rise Above & below: Academic block. MIMAR 37 41 BUILDINGS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Academic block: bird's eye view. low slung structur~s, to offer the a serious intent to embark on traditional is a natural response to western minimum visual bulk to the flat green vocabularies and at the same time reflect hegemony. It is part of a broader landscape of tilled fields around. current modernity. movement towards greater cultural Reinforced concrete frames clad totally in Habib Fida Ali's University of awareness. In this context the modernist locally available brick, coupled with the Management Sciences in Lahore is a values of Habib Fida Ali are a good varying heights of the different buildings, significant step forward III the influence. Habib Fida Ali studied at the will evoke, it is expected, images of the development of an architectural Architectural Association in London. He rural landscape of closely massed red brick vocabulary characterized by local returned to Pakistan in 1963 after forms rising out of a brilliant green, tradition and conscious of its modernity. practising for a few years in London and billiard-table-flat base, so typical to the A devotee of the Le Corbusier brand of joined the architectural firm of William rural scene of the Punjab. architecture for over 20 years, Habib Fida Parry and Associates. In 1965 he Habib Fida Ali Ali has finally discovered his roots. The established his own office. Until the mid recent influence of architects such as Luis seventies his work was limited largely to he challenge facing the present Barragan of Mexico and Geoffrey Bawa higher income houses, interior designs, generation of architects in of Sri Lanka, and his experience as a and relatively small-scale commercial T Pakistan is to acknowledge and member of the Aga Khan master jury in projects. appreciate prevailing modern 1983, have changed his ideas about Habib Fida Ali's first big opportunity ideas, while exploring the notion of architectural theory. The new project uses came in 1975 when, after winning a regionalism and vernacular tradition. The a blend of western technology and local limited competition, he was asked to majority of buildings in Pakistan lack materials and · tradition. design the head office for Pakistan character and continuity with the past, The influence of regionalism in Burmah Shell. The result was met with and are not appropriate to the local society architecture, which is an increasingly acclaim, and the building proved a and culture. Among professionals there is important issue in developing countries, turning point in his professional career. 42 MIMAR 37 BUILDINGS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Through this he identified a distinctive student housing, faculty housing, staff the faculty. This will create a pleasant and style. Fair-faced concrete fa<;:ades, broken housing and a mosque to be built on a 67 vigorous academic atmosphere and would up by panels and grooves and windows, acre site in the centre of Lahore. Here lre be practical and functional too, as most created substantial and monumental had an opportunity to put into practice of the spaces will be air-conditioned." effects and were executed with excellent his fascination with the architectural The handling of spaces, which divide workmanship, fine detailing and a strong tradition of the sub-continent. the functions into four parts under the sense of proportion. This building became After winning the commission, he went same roof, and the integration of open and a hallmark of Pakistan's contemporary to study the top management schools in partially covered courtyards, is excellent. architecture and led Habib Fida Ali to different countries; not only to see the They are not only the transitional spaces design other large building projects, such architecture but also to appreciate between air-conditioned and non air as the National Bank Building in Quetta, methods of teaching and the way in conditioned areas, but also a source of the 120-room extension of Hotel which they function. This helped him natural light and air in the building. The Midway House at Karachi Airport, and immensely in designing the University. separation and incorporation of students, a 13-storey Sui Gas head office in Lahore. He states, "The requirements for a faculty, management, visitors and their He continued the style he set in the PBS management school were very specific; activities is considered and accomplished building, characterized by a bold and clear for example, classrooms, discussion beautifully. This is a current architectural expression of structure, and a deep rooms, the library, computer centre, expression that accommodates the pre understanding of modern materials, repro graphic centre, and the faculty and requisites of modern life and enhances the function and aesthetics. management area. Instead of separating cultural authenticity of the traditional Habib Fida Ali was commissioned in them, which was very common, I have environment of Lahore. 1982 to design the University of set them into one specific building. I Habib Fida Ali, trained in the modernist Management Sciences, a prestigious wanted to have integration not only of the tradition, has attempted to reflect institution consisting of an academic elements, which I have achieved through historical tradition in a modern idiom. He block, executive development centre, very strong form, but of the students and has moved away from the PBS brand of Three views ofthe model for the acedemic block, showing the cruciform shape formed by the four academic areas, grouped around a central courtyard, and the tall porticos. MIMAR 37 43 BUILDINGS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH 1. Gate House 2. Academic Block 3. Executive Development Centre 4. Student Dining 5. Student Housing 6. Mosque 7. Recreation 8. Services 9. Staff Housing 10. Parking 11. Future Extension 12. Faculty Housing II 200 o( . Master plan international architecture and has come block and occupies a central location in been given to the outer and internal closer to home. The University of the master plan. landscape. Covered, semi-covered, and Management Sciences provides all the Habib Fida Ali has designed this open spaces with little ornamentation, are facilities required in a modern educational building seeking a built environment as weaved around artistically in traditional building. Yet, traditionally inspired an outcome of the culture, tradition and brick, displaying greenery and water. This elements such as form, courtyards, the physical, social, and economical creates an agreeable social and intellectual materials, and detailing have been resources of a society. A sympathy with environment, providing a ( pleasant carefully amalgamated to the design, the character of this region is expressed atmosphere for informal gatherings and which has captured the spirit of through traditional geometry following activities. The ingenuity of the design is vernacular architecture and combined it a strict symmetry. Here, for the first time that it fulfils function, environmental with the present-day style. in his work, Habib Fida Ali has not needs and academic goals and creates an The school is essentially a cluster of applied his theory that form should uncomplicated environment with a new semi-independent blocks assembled follow function. image without disguising the past. around the central courtyard. In This is a symmetrical form expressing developing an anomalous site, an axially the discipline and geometry in planning MURLIDHAR DAWANI GRADUATED FROM based layout has been followed, which which further symbolizes the walled city's DAWOOD COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & has helped to regulate the site in a formal image and its four gates in four wings. TECHNOLOGY, KARACHI, IN 1986 AS AN manner. It appears that the fundamental The scale of Moghul architecture is ARCHITECT AND STARTED HIS CAREER AS A CONSULTANT.