Bowing down to the women who never ceased fostering architectural efforts regardless of their cultural backgrounds seems crucial in our discoveries influencing today's building designs. These forward-thinking architects thus become the agents of change, highlighting the rich cultural heritage by embedding the storyline from the streets they knew by heart in their designs. Among these pathfinders, we meet Sumaya Dabbagh, Mariam Issoufou, Tosin Oshinowo, and Marina Tabassum, whose buildings symbolize an ingenious approach, firmness of will, and a meaningful character.
This hand-picked assortment reveals some of the most convincing architectural projects of women from the South of the world, which include the enchanting streets of Dubai till the picturesque landscape of Niger. In this way, every project personifies the miraculous ability of architecture to eliminate the reproductive role assigned by society to a man or a woman and create a space through which we meet our needs while interacting with it.
Mosque of Mohammad Abdel Khaliq Gargash / Dabbagh Architects - Sumaya Dabbagh.
(Photo: © Gerry O'Leary| Mosque or Mohamed Abulkhaliq Gargash)
Dabbagh Architects presents the Mosque of the Late Mohamed Abdulkhaliq Gargash, also from Dubai, United Arab Emirates [UAE], and is headed by its founder, Sumaya Dabbagh, as a project. Through the introduction of modern design, this place of worship expresses the aesthetic of simple grandeur, creating a virtuous atmosphere, symbolizing deep quiet, a sense of inner peace, and a spiritual bond. It is to be noted that it is the first mosque in UAE designed by a lady architect, indicating that such an architectural field is no longer a preserve for only male professionals.
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Dandaji Daily Market / atelier masōmī - Mariam Issoufou
(Photo: © Maurice Ascani | Dandaji Daily Market | Atelier Masōmī)
In rural Niger, Mariam Issoufou's atelier masōmī introduces the Dandaji Daily Market, a project aimed at revitalizing local economies. The market, situated around an ancestral tree, serves as a focal point for the community, offering a visually striking space that instills pride and attracts commerce. By amplifying the existing cultural heritage, Issoufou creates a space that enhances infrastructure and ignites confidence and aspirations for the future among its users.
New Village For Nigerian Displaced Community - Tosin Oshinowo
(Photo: Courtesy of UNDP)
Collaborating with the UNDP, Tosin Oshinowo embarks on a transformative journey to rebuild communities devastated by conflict. Ngaranam, identified as a priority location for township expansion, promises to provide a haven for displaced individuals. The project encompasses housing units, marketplaces, health clinics, schools, and essential facilities, all powered by solar energy. Oshinowo's design addresses immediate needs and lays the foundation for long-term prosperity and sustainability.
Bait Ur Rouf Mosque / Marina Tabassum Architects - Marina Tabassum
(Photo: Courtesy of Aga Khan | Marina Tabassum)
Accomplishing beauty by simplicity at Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, designed by Marina Tabassum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is proof of our spirituality. Intentionally constructed on the location of her granny's land donation, Tabassum shapes this place exclusively for spiritual solace and devotion using authentic materials and modern engineered architecture. The pinning of the mosque's structural systems, which involves heavily loaded brick walls and reinforced concrete frames, is nicely displayed and serves as a peaceful place to conduct communal engagement activities.
On the whole, it is proven that architectural initiatives within the Global South in which female architects take the lead have inspired society solutions and cultural exchange the world over to accentuate the change in the built form initiated by them and to also inspire future women architects to create spaces that will celebrate the beauty of diversity, the resilience of the human character, and the connections amongst the people.
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