Karachi, March 13, 2025: Renowned Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari has declined the prestigious Wolf Prize 2025 in Architecture, citing the “ongoing genocide” in Gaza as her reason for refusing the honor.
“While I am immensely grateful for this recognition, I cannot, in good conscience, accept the award and prize money—even from an organization independent of the government—given the continuing atrocities in Gaza,” Lari wrote in a letter to the Wolf Foundation.
The Wolf Prize, awarded annually in Israel since 1978, honors individuals for exceptional contributions to fields such as architecture, science, and the arts. It aims to foster “friendly relations among people” through the acknowledgment of outstanding achievements.
In her correspondence, Lari expressed deep appreciation for the recognition but firmly stated that accepting the award was “out of the question” given the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
Lari, Pakistan’s first female architect, made her name designing iconic brutalist structures in Karachi, including the Pakistan State Oil headquarters and various high-end residences. However, she later shifted her focus from multimillion-dollar projects to sustainable, humanitarian-driven architecture, pioneering flood-resistant bamboo homes to protect vulnerable communities.
Her innovative designs proved instrumental in safeguarding families from the devastating monsoon floods that submerged a third of Pakistan last year. Recognizing her groundbreaking work, the Royal Institute of British Architects awarded her the 2023 Royal Gold Medal, one of the highest honors in the field.
“All violence is unacceptable to me, on any side of a conflict,” Lari stated. “I have dedicated much of my life to supporting displaced populations—albeit climate migrants—and Gaza now faces one of the worst displacement crises in history.”
Lari’s principled stance adds to a growing global outcry against the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with artists, academics, and public figures increasingly using their platforms to protest the ongoing violence.
