Pakistan is home to a layered history: something that is often missed when talking about the Islamic greats of the past is how closely tied their monuments have been to other religious affiliations. While buildings like the Shahi Hamam and the Lahore Fort are not meant to be knotted into Islamic prohibitions, the fact that the Mughals remained predominantly Muslim led to an automatic demarcation of these properties. In a world of Hindu, Sikh and Muslim architecture, the Mughals most definitely fall under the third category. There is nothing wrong with that fact, of course. However, closer inspections of certain areas throw fascinating insights our way.
The Sehdara in Jahangir’s Quadrangle in the Lahore Fort posed such a discovery for me when I had the chance to study it. Once the restorers working on the structure began peeling the layers of plaster that hid the original materials underneath, they uncovered Christian images painted on the walls. These pictures could have theoretically dated from the time of the British takeover, but what led to this specific area being designated a Christian space? Why is the Virgin Mary hiding inside the paint? Is it possible to study the existence of these visualisations and connect them with the history of a land that subscribes intentionally to another religion? How can an area attributed to one circle be affiliated with another? Certain ideological roadblocks continue to stand in the way of discovery and progress.
I moved to Austin, Texas in the United States last year. As an architect and a journalist, I do not only observe design movements and living patterns, but also analyse and write about them. I could compare the patching up of history in Pakistani architecture to the gentrification battle being fought in the US city that I currently live in, but I came across a building that refused to let me go forward with such a conclusion. As a rapidly developing city, many architects have found the fast pace of construction a good way to expand their horizons and build a portfolio. Many older streets have undergone massive changes to make way for a futuristic, tech-driven community, where the people have enough money to indulge in aesthetics, food and pickleball.
While it is important to conserve one’s culture and history, it is also important to make way for the future. Authorities in Lahore routinely stop archaeologists from excavating deeper in case they stumble on something that might upset those in power
However, the building I want to talk about is the Uptown Sports Club. Renovated by the famous local firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, there is an historic charm that makes its way through the interior of the structure and weaves outside. The exterior does not necessarily alert any passersby of the work done, and gently calls one in to experience a very Texan interior – darker hues pulling down on lighter walls, with the wooden floor shining through as the star of the show. The mosaic floor pattern adds character and an old-time accent. Red brick walls have been repainted, while some parts of the structure, like the threshold and the bars, seem to have remained as they were.
What makes me compare the renovation of an old bar to the distinct finding of Christian figures in a resolutely Mughal building? The fact that it is allowed. It is encouraged to spend money on the uplifting of architecture to make way for the city to grow. While it is important to conserve one’s culture and history, it is also important to make way for the future. Authorities in Lahore routinely stop archaeologists from excavating deeper in case they stumble on something that might upset those in power. Making urban decisions based on the value provided to a select few as opposed to the social benefit for millions is a recipe for disaster.
Young individuals in Pakistan will cease to be interested in a country that does not encourage them to faithfully pursue their roots and recreate them in terms of their present. This recreation will follow an interpretation that stays relevant to the people making the most use of these – teachers should be sat down and asked how they want a school to be built. Families should be surveyed before laying down foundations for housing societies. Older structures should be rehabilitated before it is determined that the locals require more. Ways of living do not have to remain the same over any time span for a people to progress.
While the dominant architecture firm in Austin is spread all over the city and actively engages with the public as it caters to the character of the area, firms in Lahore struggle to find projects where they can move away from the gaudy expression of materialism to the creation of spatial authenticity. Do a few select firms have to step up and seemingly control the layout of the city with their architectural influences for an area to develop a solid identity? A hierarchy in design might not solve all our problems. Does Pakistan need a subtle aesthetic dictatorship for it to stop repeating the same mistakes? That could very well be the case, but it will be always the client who wields the most control.
And while it is true that monetary power remains the deciding factor in most cases, it is a truth universally acknowledged that those in possession of a fortune are not always in want of brains.