Abdulhusein M. Thariani

Abdulhusein Meheraly Thariani (3 April 1905, Bombay - 30 December 1972, Karachi) was a member of the first generation of formally trained architects in Pakistan.[1] Amongst his most prominent works is the Baitul Mukarram (National Mosque of Bangladesh) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[2] His works can be seen in three cities in three countries: Mumbai, India; Karachi, Pakistan and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Background

Thariani was born in 1905 in Bombay in British India (now Mumbai, India) as the only child of Fatimabai and Meheraly Thariani. He attended the J. J. School of Art's Architecture department. He was married to Gulshan; amongst his children are the Pakistani architects Saleem Thariani and Azad Thariani. His grandson Kumail is also an architect.

Career

His career spanned almost four decades from 1929 to the late 1960s. In the 1950s, he along with 10 other practising architects including two foreigners; M. A. Ahed, Tajuddin Bhamani, Minoo Mistry, Pir Mohammad, R. S. Rustomji, H. H. Khan, Mehdi Ali Mirza, Zahiruddn Khawaja, Bloomfield and Peter Powell, formed the Institute of Architects, Pakistan.[1][3][4]

British India (pre-1947)

He established his own practise, Abdulhusein M. Thariani in Bombay in 1929. Amongst his works in the city is the Ambassador Hotel.

Pakistan (from 1947)

After the creation of Pakistan as an independent state in 1947, he moved to Karachi and joined M/s Hyderi Construction Company as its Managing Director. Under his direction the first textile mill of Pakistan, Valika Textile Mills, in S.I.T.E. was constructed. In the early 1950s he left the company to restart his own practice under the name of Thariani & Co.

Freedom Movement

Thariani was an active member of the independence movement. He was the editor of the Vatan (1942), a Gujarati language newspaper seeking to gain the support of the business community for the cause of Pakistan.

Poet

Besides practising as an architect, Thariani wrote poetry in Gujarati under the pen-name of Sabir. His collection of poems was translated into Urdu by the poet Josh Malihabadi, and published. One of his poems was included in the Gujrati syllabus at the University of Karachi.

Projects

In Mumbai

In Karachi

In Dhaka

References

  1. 1 2 Chapter 8: Architecture after independence Archnet.org Retrieved 08 March 2016
  2. ↑ Baitul Mukarram, The National Mosque of Bangladesh Retrieved 08 March 2016
  3. ↑ Book Review Archpress Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Mumtaz, K. K., "Modernity and Tradition" Karachi: OUP 1999 pg. 121
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