ARCHITECTS / T

Marina Tabassum (born 1968) has redefined contemporary architecture in Bangladesh with her context-sensitive, sustainable designs rooted in local traditions and climate resilience. Founder of Marina Tabassum Architects, she gained international acclaim for the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, a minimalist, light-filled space built with local brick, earning her the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2016). Her work prioritizes community engagement, passive cooling, and low-cost materials, reflecting a deep commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Through both practice and teaching, Tabassum continues to push for architecture that is culturally meaningful and accessible to underserved communities.

Benedetta Tagliabue (born 1963) has brought fluidity and material innovation to contemporary architecture through her firm, Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, co-founded with Enric Miralles. Her work includes the Scottish Parliament Building, the Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona, and the Spanish Pavilion at Expo 2010, all showcasing dynamic forms and rich material palettes. Tagliabue’s approach blends organic geometries with cultural narratives, creating spaces that feel both playful and deeply rooted in context. As an advocate for experimental architecture and public engagement, she continues to shape urban environments through responsive, site-specific, and human-centered designs.

Kenzō Tange (1913–2005) was a visionary of postwar Japanese architecture, merging traditional Japanese aesthetics with modernist and Metabolist principles. His Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, the Tokyo Olympic Gymnasiums, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building exemplify his mastery of monumental form, structural innovation, and urban planning. As a leader of the Metabolist movement, he envisioned flexible, evolving megastructures that responded to rapid urbanization. Awarded the Pritzker Prize (1987), Tange’s influence extends globally, shaping the way cities integrate technology, modularity, and cultural heritage in contemporary architecture.

Martino Tattara is an Italian architect, researcher, and educator, and co-founder of Dogma, an architectural practice engaged in the exploration of architecture’s political and social potential. He holds a PhD in Urbanism and is currently Assistant Professor of Architecture at KU Leuven in Belgium. Tattara’s work focuses on the development of collective housing, the critique of contemporary urbanism, and the conceptualization of alternative architectural frameworks. Through both academic work and design practice, he advocates for architecture as a medium of critical inquiry and social engagement. With Dogma, he has contributed to numerous international exhibitions and publications.

Bruno Taut (1880–1938) was a pioneering German architect whose work ranged from Expressionist fantasies to functionalist housing developments. His early designs, such as the Glass Pavilion (1914), explored bold colors and crystalline forms, while his later projects, like Berlin’s Hufeisensiedlung, focused on social housing with a humanistic approach. Exiled during the Nazi era, he contributed to architecture in Japan and Turkey, integrating regional styles with modernist ideals. Taut’s legacy lies in his visionary use of form, color, and urban planning, influencing both modernist social housing and utopian architectural thought.

Giuseppe Terragni (1904–1943) reshaped Italian architecture through his pioneering work in Rationalism, creating structures that combined geometric clarity with spatial dynamism. His most famous work, the Casa del Fascio in Como, exemplifies his use of glass, symmetry, and modular composition to express political ideology through architecture. Other notable projects include the Novocomum apartments and Danteum, an unbuilt project inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy. Despite his early death, Terragni’s legacy continues to influence modernist and minimalist architecture, demonstrating the power of rigorous form and conceptual depth.

Takaharu Tezuka (born 1964) has redefined educational and communal architecture through his playful, open designs that prioritize interaction, flexibility, and natural integration. Co-founder of Tezuka Architects, he is best known for the Fuji Kindergarten, an award-winning circular school that fosters child-centered learning through open space and connectivity. Other notable works include the Roof House and the Sora no Mori Clinic, which emphasize light, air, and human-scale design. His work challenges conventional boundaries, advocating for architecture that is engaging, emotionally resonant, and deeply connected to its users.

Bernard Tschumi (born 1944) has challenged traditional architectural norms by merging philosophy, movement, and fragmented spatial experiences. A leading deconstructivist, he is best known for the Parc de la Villette in Paris, a radical urban space that plays with disorder, layering, and open-ended functionality. Other significant works include the Acropolis Museum in Athens and the Rouen Concert Hall, which explore spatial narratives and dynamic circulation. As an influential educator and theorist, Tschumi has shaped contemporary architectural discourse, emphasizing that architecture is not just about form, but about the experiences it creates.