This concrete fortress on an artificial lake is Bangladesh’s modernist parliament building in Dhaka. During its construction, Bangladesh seceded from Pakistan, a revolution broke out, and the architect Louis Kahn himself died. Despite these turbulent events, the huge parliament complex still serves the authorities today, but its technical condition leaves much to be desired. Although Kahn’s modernist life’s work is his greatest success, the building also bears the marks of failure.
British mess
The post-war division of British India created several serious problems in the region. While India gained independence from British rule, the territory of present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh remained a royal dominion. East (present-day Bangladesh) and West Pakistan were divided by language, political class and a distance of over 2,000 km. Even after the creation of the republic, the militant mood, including in the awkwardly separated buffer state, did not subside.
In order to equalise the status of both parts of Pakistan, the authorities of the western, dominant part commissioned the construction of a local parliament for the east. Dhaka became the second capital of the state, and the Bengalis, appreciated in this way, were to regain their sense of sovereignty. This enormous task was entrusted to architect Muzharul Islam, who already had university and administrative buildings in his portfolio. His simple, modernist forms were created from cheap local materials. However, the architect had never designed such a large building, so he suggested to the authorities that they bring in one of the stars of architecture at the time.
As fate would have it, Le Corbusier was not available at the time, so Islam recommended a friend of his from Yale, Louis Kahn, about whom you can read HERE. Kahn’s idea was that the new parliament building (Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban) would be a symbol of the emerging robust democracy. For this reason, the architect used the play of light and shapes characteristic of his designs.
A stronghold of democracy?
The huge fortress lies on an artificial lake arranged in a geometric, angular shape. The reservoir is a reference to the gigantic Ganges delta stretching across the entire south of the country. Although the cylindrical, rounded shapes of the building give the impression of a dominance of curves, the building was designed on a large rhombus plan. This shape is composed of many diverse, heavy structures that refer to traditional Bengali art. In turn, the clearing in front of the building was intended to be a public space for citizens.
The central octagon rises to a height of 47 metres, making the chamber clearly stand out from the rest. However, before entering the main chamber, parliamentarians pass through vast and monumental spaces. The heavy concrete walls are divided by marble inserts, and local materials were used in their construction. Kahn’s characteristic geometric shapes: circles, semicircles and triangles were cut into the walls to create a play of light. It is the rays of the sun that draw the interior of the monumental parliament. However, it is worth noting that not every part of the building is adequately lit, and the strange shapes were cut out at the expense of acoustics.
Finally, the huge chamber supported by thick concrete is the culmination of Kahn’s monumentalism. The large cylindrical structure seats 354 people and is covered by a dome. The interior is lit by a clerestory resembling cut-outs (or lunettes) in a sheet superimposed on the cylinder. The assembly hall clearly demonstrates all the principles of Kahn’s architecture – drawing with light, monumentalism, austerity of materials and geometry.
Masterpiece or failure?
It should be mentioned, however, that although construction began in 1964, it took almost 20 years to complete. The unstable situation in the country and tensions between its parts led to a revolution in 1971 and the creation of an independent Bangladesh. This meant that Kahn was no longer designing for a province of Pakistan, but for a separate Bengali state. The difficult economic and political situation halted construction, and Kahn died unexpectedly in 1974. The building was finally completed, but not until 1982.
The parliament building in Dhaka continues to fascinate architects to this day, but few people evaluate Kahn’s vision. What remains of the open temple of democracy is a neglected and fenced-off fort with a moat. The publicly accessible clearing in front of the building is now guarded and access to it is difficult. What is more, democracy in Bangladesh has not stood the test of time. It is now a hybrid regime, which is causing discontent among the population and large protests.
Even if we ignore the aspects related to the passage of time, the design itself seems somewhat contradictory. The geometric shapes indicated in the architecture of Bangladesh are not a common sight. There is also no other building of such monumental size that would indicate inspiration from the power of Rome or Byzantium. Thus, local inspirations seem quite distant. What is more, the building is located directly on the waterfront, in a monsoon climate, which generates high maintenance costs. Finally, it is worth asking whether a moated fortress with architecture foreign to Dhaka is really a good symbol of local democracy?
Source: Architect
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