Lifetime Achievement Award

Architect, researcher and educator Marina Tabassum is the winner of the Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the past three decades, Tabassum’s practice has been an inspiring example of how working with local communities can have a positive impact across the planet – even under the most adverse conditions. The work of this architect demonstrates a deep sense of commitment to the social and cultural role of architecture, with particular attention paid to building a collective sense of belonging in each new project.

“Marina Tabassum’s unique practice touches on the spiritual fundamentals of architecture, without losing sight of its responsibilities and potential impact. Her projects demonstrate both a strong, clear ethical position and delicate, sophisticated design, being uncompromisingly innovative even with limited resources and budget constraints. Always driven by specific cultural and geographical contexts, her work addresses pressing contemporary issues, being particularly mindful of local communities and their environment and history. Marina Tabassum’s bold step forward, transforming architecture’s role from a passive-commission model into an active-initiative one, keeps showing us the way towards how architects can challenge the climate crisis and bring about social change in an experimental, respectful and inspiring manner.”

This award is given after an independent selection process that runs through two different stages. In the first phase, over 30 international leading figures* in architecture are invited by the Triennale to nominate up to three names they consider worthy of the award. The resulting list is then given to the jury responsible for the final decision, which includes the chief curators of the Triennale 2022 plus three other prominent figures from Senegal, Israel and China.

Watch the ceremony