Pakistani Architect Declines Prestigious Israeli Arts Award
Renowned Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari has declined a prestigious Israeli arts award, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza as the reason behind her decision.
Lari was selected for the Wolf Prize, an international award recognizing individuals in the fields of science and the arts for their significant contributions to humanity and fostering friendly relations among nations.
The prize, which was established in Israel in 1978, is awarded in six categories: agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics, and the arts. The arts category rotates annually between architecture, music, painting, and sculpture.
In a letter seen by The Media Line, Lari firmly rejected the award while expressing her deep gratitude.
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“Kindly convey my warm thanks to the esteemed members of the jury and the Wolf Foundation for selecting me for the Wolf Foundation Prize in Architecture 2025,” Lari wrote to Wolf Foundation head Reut Inon Berman.
“While I am immensely grateful for this honor, alas, given the unfortunate continuing genocide in Gaza, I am not able to accept the award and the prize money, even from an organization that is independent of the government,” she continued.
She added that “all violence is unacceptable.” “I’ve spent much of my life helping refugees, albeit climate migrants, and Gaza is unfortunately now one of the worst situations in terms of displacement,” she said.
The Wolf Foundation has yet to respond regarding Lari’s decision to decline the award.
In a short conversation with The Media Line, Lari stated, “My priority is addressing injustices in my own country. My primary focus remains on lifting 1 million flood-affected households out of poverty following the devastating 2022 floods.”
Pakistan’s first female architect, Lari is renowned for her shift from landmark commercial projects to sustainable, humanitarian architecture. She pioneered low-cost, eco-friendly housing for marginalized communities, especially after natural disasters like the 2005 earthquake and 2010 floods.
Through the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, she has built thousands of disaster-resilient homes using indigenous materials and traditional techniques. Her “barefoot social architecture” approach prioritizes sustainability and community participation.
Lari has received multiple prestigious awards, including the Jane Drew Prize and the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Royal Gold Medal, for her contributions to architecture and her social impact.
