Habib Fida Ali Explained

Habib Fida Ali (1935  - 7 January 2017) (Urdu: حبیب فدا علی) was one of Pakistan's most prominent architects,^{[1] [2]} working in the modernist tradition.^[3]

Early life

Fida Ali was born to a Dawoodi Bohra family^[4] in Karachi and attended St. Patrick's primary school there, before in 1952 becoming a boarder at Aitchison College, Lahore, to take his O and A levels examinations. He then became the first Pakistani student to be admitted to the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, from where he graduated in 1962. He returned to Pakistan in 1963 to join William Perry's architectural practice in Karachi, and established his own practice in 1965.^[5]

Career

Habib Fida Ali had worked on the following buildings and architectural projects.

Corporate projects

• Shell House^[6] (Completed in 1976 First Prize in Limited Competition)^[7]
• Commercial Union (Completed in 1992)
• National Bank of Pakistan Head Office Building (Renovation)^[8]
• Cavish Court, Karachi (completed in 1987)
• Sui Southern Gas Company Head Office Building
• Sui Northern Gas Company Head Office Building, Lahore (completed in 1989)
• Commercial Union Assurance Regional Office Building, Karachi (completed in 1992)

Hospitality projects

• Midway House Hotel at Karachi Airport (completed in 1982)^[9] (Phase I & 2003 -2006 PhaseII)
• Memon Medical Institute (completed in 2010)
• Infaq Medical Center (completed in 2006)
• Bait-ul-Sukoon Cancer Hospital (completed in 2007)
• Master Plan JS Hospital, Sehwan, Sindh, Pakistan (completed in 2012)
• Police Hospital, Garden Road, Karachi (completed in 2012)

Educational projects

• Lahore University of Management Sciences (completed 1985)

Honors and distinctions

• Lifetime Achievement Award by the Institute of Architects, Pakistan
• Nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 1986^[10]
• Speaker at the forum 2001 at Sri Lankan Institute of Architects,^[11] Colombo Sri Lanka to speak on his Fair Face Concrete Buildings.
• Karachi conformance of Building & Material Exhibition My Architects – Our Architecture IAPEX 2004^[12]
• Designed Karachi American School along with William Perry in 1962

Professional affiliations

• National Vice President of the Institute of Architects, Pakistan (IAP)^[13]
• Member, Master Jury, Aga Khan Award for Architecture, 1983^[14]

Death

Habib Fida Ali died on 7 January 2017. The cause of death was reported to be brain hemorrhage.^[15]

External links

• Official site

Notes and References

1. Book: Haroon, Hameed . Karachi under the Raj, 1843-1947, Volume 4 . Hameed Haroon . Mariam Ali Baig . 315 . 2004 . Pakistan Herald Publications . 978-969-8837-07-5 .
2. Book: Khan, Hasan-Uddin . Contemporary Asian architects, Volume 1 . 34 . 1995 . . 978-3-8228-8670-0 . registration .
3. Book: Husain, Irfan . Pakistan . Irfan Husain . 170 . 1997 . . 978-1-900988-01-8 .
4. https://www.youlinmagazine.com/article/remembering-habib-fida-ali/NzQ1
5. News: The concrete builder . Dawn. Pakistan . 3 August 2002 . 12 July 2010 .
6. Book: Goode, Patrick . The Oxford companion to architecture, Volume 1 . Stanford Anderson . Colin St. John Wilson . Colin St. John Wilson . 688 . 2009 . . 978-0-19-860568-3 .
7. Book: Siddiqui, Ahmed Husain . Karachi, the pearl of Arabian Sea . 1996 . Mohammad Husain Academy . 35990865 .
8. Book: Riaz, Bashir . Blind justice . 54 . 2000 . Fiction House . Lahore . 45737791 .
9. Book: Mumtaz, Kamil Khan . Modernity and tradition: contemporary architecture in Pakistan . xiii . 1999 . . 978-0-19-577853-3 .
10. Book: Serageldin, Ismaïl . Space for freedom: the search for architectural excellence in Muslim societies . 27 . 1989 . . 978-0-408-50049-4 .
11. News: Annual Sessions of Institute of Architects . The Island . 12 February 2001 . 12 July 2010 .
12. News: Architectural Forum at APEX-2004 . . 15 December 2004 .
13. Book: Reading the contemporary African city . vii . 1982 . . 18988608 .
14. Book: Cantacuzino, Sherban . Architecture in continuity: building in the Islamic world today : the Aga Khan Award for Architecture . 79 . 1985 . Aperture . 978-0-89381-187-7 .
15. News: Renowned architect Habib Fida Ali passes away. The Express Tribune newspaper. 10 February 2024.