National Parliament House

Louis Kahn worked on the National Assembly building from 1962 until his death in 1974 and it was completed in 1982, and it is generally regarded as his major work and one of the significant buildings of the twentieth century: a group of concrete blocks arranged around an octagonal assembly chamber, faced with bands of white marble, pierced by enormous geometric openings, circles, triangles and rectangles, that admit light without direct sun and read as a fortress from outside. It stands on a podium surrounded by an artificial lake. The chamber is top-lit through a parasol roof. Access to the interior requires arrangement well in advance and is frequently refused; most visitors see it from the grounds and across the water.

History

In 1959 the government of Pakistan decided to build a seat for its National Assembly in Dhaka, and the architect Muzharul Islam, after approaching Alvar Aalto and Le Corbusier, brought in his former teacher at Yale, Louis Kahn, whose preliminary design of 1960 was approved, with land acquired in 1961. Building began in 1964 and stopped in 1971, and in 1974 the government of the new Bangladesh decided to carry on with Kahn's design unchanged; Kahn died with the work about three-quarters done, David Wisdom of his office saw it through, and it was completed on 28 January 1982 (Wikipedia, Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban).

What's there

• Geometric openings in concrete - circles and triangles cut through the mass.
• Marble banding on concrete - the facing that lines the whole complex.
• The surrounding artificial lake - the water the building stands above.
• Kahn's major work - the building he spent his last twelve years on.

When to go

November to March. One to two hours from the grounds. Interior access needs written arrangement well ahead through official channels and is often refused. Late afternoon light on the concrete is best.

Before you go

The interior is effectively closed to casual visitors and requests usually fail. Security is tight and photography from some angles is restricted. The grounds are patrolled. You will most likely see it only from across the lake.

Nearby

Central Dhaka is south; the airport road runs north.

Key facts