January 25

Architect Kamil Khan Mumtaz in the spotlight. A frank chat

Filed Under architecture, ideas 

(Text by Aresha Gul in co-operation with Kamil Khan Mumtaz Architects, all projects and images © Kamil Khan Mumtaz Architects)

Lahore, my city, is blessed with beautiful and unique architecture. To find the true soul of Lahore you must visit the Old Walled City which dates back hundreds of years. The Walled City includes lovely buildings, homes and a network of small, narrow streets which take you back in time to relive history.

The typical home was the “Haveli”. This word comes from “Hava” that is “wind”, as the Haveli was the traditional design, with large airy verandahs on all sides, high ceilings and an atrium in the middle for lighting. Haveli gave way to modern residences and buildings, though the wave of contemporary design could not wipe out the beauty and sensible pragmatism of the Haveli. It’s not surprising that the traditional Pakistani home is now back in vogue. Architect Kamil Khan Mumtaz is among those architects and designers experimenting with the haveli form and succeeding in a delicate blend between the traditional and the contemporary.

Sara Zaman Residence, Cavalry Ground, LAhore; © Kamil Khan Mumtaz Architects

Kamil Khan Mumtaz has been practicing in Lahore for forty years. He started his own studio in 1966 and, since then, he has been building his reputation. In 2006 Taimoor Khan Mumtaz joined as a partner in the firm which is now registered as Kamil Khan Mumtaz Architects. I am sure you will find their projects interesting and informative on the best Pakistani architecture.
I especially noticed that light is used both as a creative and spiritual element. The study on natural light becomes a powerful and poetic tool providing a practical yet original and timeless approach to contemporary and traditional architecture.

Kamil Khan Mumtaz deeply believes in the spirit of Lahore, his concepts, whether residential or commercial, depict the heritage of the rich traditional design always looking at functional utility. I did not have the chance to meet him personally, but virtually. Here follows my interview to Kamil Khan Mumtaz Architects, his frank and fearless thoughts will give us a lot to think about…

Oxford University Press Head Office Building, rear elevation elevation + ground floor elevator and stair lobby; Industrial Zone Korangi, Karachi, Pakistan.
The OUP design is based on the British colonial period architecture of Karachi, so that it is responsive to the maritime climate and utilizes local stone and building material.

What’s the studio perspective on traditional architecture? Do you think tradition is an element that cannot be disregarded to develop contemporary architecture in Pakistan?

There are two essential components of the traditional design method, building practices and design theories that have formed the basis of traditional architecture are proportioning and the use of “ideal forms”. The system of proportional sub-division, as a method for determining the size and shape of buildings, rather than relying on an absolute or fixed measure such as a foot or a yard, has been documented by several scholars . But proportions alone do not determine the form of a building. All spatial relationships are proportionate, and several systems of proportions have been found to have been used for separate buildings of the same type, category or genre. Indeed, the proportions of a particular building may apply equally to a man, an animal or a tree. Proportions apply to specific forms. Every traditional building type has a predetermined essential typology, a prototype, a generic or “ideal” form. Needless to say, no two buildings of the same type or genre are in fact identical. A single form may be “manifested” in an infinite variety of scales, proportions, and details of construction and decorations while “being” essentially a mandala, yantra, or hashtbihisht . This diversity is due to the specific materials, site topology, user requirements, climate and other conditions. Nevertheless, the work of the designer, architect, master or apprentice, begins with copying from a pre-existing model. Traditionally the term “art” includes all the arts and crafts. In fact it is applied to making or doing anything that meets the dual criteria of utility and beauty. Now utility – appropriateness to function and purpose – relates to quantity and the more obvious practical and physical aspects of material and form. But beauty relates to quality, and it’s traditionally understood as a quality of the Divine.

Baba Hassan Din, Masoleum, Tombs for Two Sufi Saints in Baghban Pura, Lahore

Traditionally man has measured human “development” in terms of “progress” made on his/her journey towards “enlightenment”. The role of art, in traditional societies, has been to act as support in this spiritual quest or journey by reminding us of our role and function in this life, by pointing to our true goal and by illuminating the way to that goal.
Within this framework the artist or craftsman cannot presume to be “original” (except in the sense of returning to the origin), or to “create” beauty. Beauty already exists, out there, as an objective reality. He can only aspire to reflect it in his work.

Baba Hassan Din, fresco work on dome

How does Mr. Kamil Khan Mumtaz see the future of contemporary architecture in Pakistan?

Now as the world is looking for ways to mitigate the effects of globalization, it is turning to alternative medicine; to organic agriculture; to renewable energy sources; even to “natural” cosmetics, and of course, to “regionalism”. But all these are efforts to save ourselves, our species and our environment, from the “effects” of globalization, modernization and “development”. What we really need, more urgently than at any time before, is to address the causes. The cause lies in the set of criteria, the value systems, the ideological and philosophical basis, the world-view, the basic perspective of “modernism”.
If we are at all seriously concerned about the present state of affairs, we will have to go beyond tinkering with the effects, beyond papering over the cracks. We should raise some very basic, fundamental and un-fashionable questions. We need to take a fresh fix on our bearings and orientation in relation to cardinal directions and ultimate destinations, to re-state some guiding principles, to re-define, if necessary, our world view, even to start again with the big questions.
I would submit that in the traditional regional responses to these questions we have an alternative development paradigm, an ideological framework, a guide to action, which is as valid and relevant today as it has been for all the past millennia.

We submit that our cities are decaying, and will not be able to revive. They will keep on growing chaotically, not because our city planners do not have any vision for our cities, but precisely because of the vision they do have. This is the shared vision among economists and politicians who “wish the skyline of our cities resemble that of Manhattan”. The decay and chaos of our cities are not the result of the scarcity of research on urban issues, but on the excesses of modern development – the development of the Manhattans of the world and their “shining” outposts and colonies in the developing / underdeveloped / less developed world, the Dubai and Islamabad, and the colonized minds of their residents.
Well, let us begin by decolonizing our minds. You will find it a liberating experience. You will be amazed at the world of infinite possibilities that this will open up for you. For example, you might realize that globalization, driven by the economic growth model of development, is inherently unsustainable; that an alternate paradigm would define “development” as conservation and preservation of our humanity and our environment. In which the objective is the realization of our highest “human” potential. Not in terms of quantity of material possessions and wealth, not driven by greed or by a lust for power, domination and control, not stimulated by desires of fame, fortune and hedonist pleasures that are the lowest attributes of our animal nature, but in terms of the highest qualities of justice, equity, compassion, charity, love, and beauty, that define what it means to be human.

Baba Hassan Din, Muqarnad detail

How do you think architecture can help answering environmental problems?

We know that our cities and building activities consume large amounts of energy and generate harmful emissions and effluents. This is due to industrialization and mechanization in the construction and servicing of high-tech, high-rise buildings, from mechanical transportation and the loss of “green” space to urban sprawl resulting from segregation of cities into functional, income and occupational zones.
Obvious solutions would be:
(a) low-rise, high density and low-tech cities limited in size and population, integrated in terms of land use, income and occupational groups, with pedestrian circulation and a range of economic activities including small and medium sized industries compatible with their natural and human environments;
(b) Buildings that employ natural rather than mechanical means of heating, cooling and lighting; and
(c) Construction technologies that maximize the use of renewable energy, indigenous materials and indigenous technologies, while minimizing the use of mechanical processes.

Dar-ul-Hikmat, entrance court. Primary School for 180 pupils and staff residences in Village Dullu Kalan, Lahore

The fact that these principles have formed part of the traditional praxis of urbanized communities for some six thousand years demonstrates that these are technically feasible, environmentally sustainable, safe, healthy and climatically comfortable. They are economically affordable, even highly profitable under certain circumstances.
Socially, they result in well integrated, harmonious communities and culturally appropriate urban morphologies that are humane and beautiful rather than monstrous and de-humanizing in scale.

Special thanks to Taimoor Khan Mumtaz who helped me to understand Mr. Kamil Khan Mumtaz’s research, without him it wouldn’t have been possible for me to introduce you this precious and enlightened Pakistani.

Dar-ul-Hikmat, interior arcade detail.

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Comments

5 Responses to “Architect Kamil Khan Mumtaz in the spotlight. A frank chat”

  1. Haroon Rashid on January 27th, 2010 14:34

    Shabaash..In my language that means “Well Done”
    Aresha Gul has done good research and I am very happy to see her name here. Keep up the good work.

  2. Haroon Rashid on January 27th, 2010 14:35

    SHABAASH ……In our language it means “Well Done”.

    I am proud to see your name here, keep up the good work Aresha.

  3. Adrien on February 3rd, 2010 16:30

    Very Informative. Especially the conversation.

  4. ali khanca on February 5th, 2010 21:57

    I had an oppertunity of attending Mr. Kamil Mumtaz’s seimnar in Lahore, and I was trying gather some data, I am very pleased that I found some useful information here in one go. Indeed Mr. Kamil is an icon for young architects of Pakistan. Very well written by Ms.Gul and I in fact took some of his notes.

  5. Faten on February 13th, 2010 21:06

    This is a wonderful article! I am so proud that my aunt is so gifted and amazing at her research! I love you! You did such a good job :)

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