Interview By Ar. Fazal Noor & Ar. Anila Naeem
ARCHI TIMES reproducing this interview which was published in March, 2006.
Architect Minoo Mistri was one of the pioneering architects of Pakistan. He obtained his Diploma in Architecture from Bombay in 1936. The same year he started his architectural practice in India. He practiced in Pakistan from 1943 to 1996. Minoo Mistri became an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1941 and a Fellow of this institute in 1956. He is one of the founding members of the Federation of Architects and Engineers, as well as the Institute of Architects, Pakistan. He has been elected President of the Institute of Architects five times. He was a founder member of the Government School of Architecture, Karachi. He is also a Fellow of the Illumination Society of Pakistan, and has served as its President in 1993 and 1994.
Minoo Mistri comes from a family that has been involved for years with construction and design. Thus his entering the profession of architecture was no accident. It was a conscious step to keep up the family tradition. Involved with architectural practice in Pakistan for more than fifty years, his projects today stand not only in Karachi, but all over Pakistan, and in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan). Being amongst the pioneering architects of Pakistan, he has served this profession with sincerity and dedication. He has been the master-mind behind several architectural masterpieces in Karachi which became landmarks and have gained monumental value. Minoo Mistri has not only left his mark as a practicing professional, but has also made invaluable contributions in the field of architectural education and the institutionalization of the profession. He has been a founding member of the Institute of Architects, Pakistan, and has served the Institute five times as its President. Minoo Mistri also had the privilege of being the only Pakistani architect invited to present a paper at an International seminar – The Interaction of Tradition and Technology -organized by Queen Farah of Iran in 1970. In spite of this long and impressive list of achievements, Minoo Mistri retains a humble and modest personality.
In the past one year, Architect Minoo Mistry received two lifetime achievement awards. One from the Institute of Architects, Pakistan, Islamabad Rawalpindi Chapter in October 2003 during the ARCH VISION 2003 and also received the lifetime achieve-ment award from the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners, recently, at the event held in Karachi. These were the first time ever, when IAP and the PCATP gave away lifetime achievement award, to Architect Minoo Mistry, as an outstanding architect of the country and for his contribution and dedication to the profession of architecture. Impressions on The Design of Buildings… “I do not believe in fashion. A building has to be functional, it must work and it must respect its surroundings”
For Minoo Mistri his clients are most important. He strongly believes in providing them what they desire rather than imposing his own ideas on them. He feels that an architect must be humble, he should respect the environment, abide by the building by-laws, and give due regard to the neighboring buildings. He strongly advocates formal town planning of our cities and suggests controlled land-use and the clear demarcation of residential and working zones. He always attended personally to the design of his projects. This was one of the reasons why he wound up his practice three years back, when he started to loose clear vision in one of his eyes. “My ideal has been to achieve precision and excellence in meeting the client’s needs”. “Good architecture is not produced by trying to speak loudly, or by expressing what one wants to without considering or respecting the surrounding landscape and the built environment” Minoo Mistri preferred not to adhere to any particular architectural style. In his various projects can be seen a reflection of different trends. ‘I have built in the Muslim style, in the Indian style, in the Colonial style and in many others. I have even blended one with the other to suit the requirements’, he says. He has, however, been inspired by the works of the masters, especially that of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Architectural Trends in Pakistan…
Minoo Mistri feels that con-temporary Pakistani architecture has no trend or identity of its own. He feels that in Karachi too much glass is being used in buildings. He likes and admires the work of Nayyar Ali Dada. “Dada’s work is super – it’s a class of its own”.
On Professional Ethics…
Expressing a sense of disappointment at the professional ethics of today’s architects, Minoo Mistri believes that good architecture simply cannot be produced with such an attitude. He feels that professionals have become too commercial-minded and are not sincere. They violate the building by-laws too casually without regard to the negative effects their work might have on the environment and on the physical fabric. The result of such an attitude is that there is no law, no open spaces, just a jungle of concrete structures everywhere. ‘What one may call architecture is in fact completely lacking’. He strongly believes that the by-laws are meant for the public good and should not be exploited for the benefit of a few. Paying a penalty to regularize illegal construction is not acceptable professionally.
Minoo Mistri clearly remembers the old days when an extension of even two inches could lead to the demolition of the whole structure. Nobody could get away by breaking the law. ‘When my proposals were sub-mitted to the Building Control Unit of KMC, they would say, there was no need to check, because Minoo himself is very careful about the by-laws’. He proudly claims that none of his buildings ever exceeded the permissible area.
In spite of his somewhat despondent outlook, he is encouraged by the growing recognition of architecture and architects among the masses, the increasing practice of architectural lawless-ness notwithstanding.
On Domestic Architecture…
Minoo Mistri believes that residential buildings must have a homely look, whether they are flats, bungalows or small houses. The emphasis should be more on comfort and coziness. “I try to give my houses a pitched roof and horizontal parapet walls. This makes them stand out from the other buildings, which have flat roofs”. For residences, his guideline principle is: “Design your house inside out – once you lay it out correctly, the elevation just grows out. Then you can play with textures and treatments to create diversity and variety that represent a home. Good planning is the key to better design, especially for residential buildings. One should consider the furniture and its layout, the light and air, the circulation and overall comfort…”
On Architectural Education…
Minoo Mistri helped lay the foundations of architectural education in the country. He remembers that, along with M. A. Mirza and Z. Khawaja, he had designed a complete program for an Architectural School to be opened in Karachi. Minoo Mistri taught here – The School of Architecture at Karachi – for twelve years. This ultimately led to the establishment of the Department of Architecture and Planning at Dawood College, Karachi. More recently, the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture has been set up by a group of dedicated professionals.
He appreciates the idea on which schools such as the NCA and Indus Valley have been created. “When architecture students work in an environment where they are in constant close contact with other forms of art, their vision is broadened, and they can produce better work.”
On Professional Bodies…
‘The IAP is almost dead. The Engineering Council is more alive’. Minoo Mistri remembers the times when the numerical strength of architects was less, but they used to take a stand for a cause. He feels that spirit is lacking today. “Look at the case of Nayyar Ali Dada. What did we do? How dare they go and arrest the architect after fifteen years. The roof collapsed due to negli gence on behalf of the mainte nance staff. They are the ones who should have been questioned. PCATP and IAP did almost noth ing. Just keep sending them their renewal fee every year. That’s all they care about”.
On ARCHITIMES…
Minoo Mistri appreciates Archi Times for the role it plays in spreading information regarding architecture and architectural practice. “When Archi Times comes, I leave everything else and read it first”.
Routines…
Although Minoo Mistri now leads a retired life, he likes to have some order in his daily routine. While still in practice, he followed a fixed routine: “In the morning I used to go out for site visits. In the afternoons I worked site visits. In the afternoons I worked at the office, where I tried to spend time at the drawing board. I think working more on the desk rather than at the drawing board spoils an architect. He becomes more commercial-minded.” Minoo Mistri has obviously missed out on the Computer era…
And Other Interests…
Besides architectural design, he enjoys painting and making perspective renderings. He also does wood carving and sculpture. While composing on wood panels he feels at home in expressing his thoughts. Throughout his education he had been an outstanding student and always took the top position in his class. He won several prizes for outdoor sketches and photography, but remembers his “Travelling scholarship” as the most cherished and valued prize.
The Architect Talks of his Projects…
BVS School, Karachi
I built the second floor of this school building. As the ground floor already existed, I did not try to bring in anything new or alien just to make my part of the work identifiable and different. The second floor was designed carefully to look like the already existing ground floor, after a careful study of the existing architecture. The new parts were made to match the old parts to the extent that the onlooker never realizes that the upper floor was added later.
Parsi Fire Temple – Daud Pota Road
I designed and supervised the reconstruction of the Parsi Fire Temple. When fire destroyed the temple, the Parsi community asked me to rebuild it. I prepared complete measured drawings of the temple and rebuilt it block by block, using reinforcement to protect it against any future disaster. Today none would know that the building is built of cement blocks. The finishes give the same solid look of a stone building.
ANZ Grindlays Bank, Karachi
One may think it is a stone building but in reality this classical structure is of reinforced cement concrete. The client wanted it to be strong, and to look strong. I gave it that look, and made it strong. This building was designed completely by me, without the involvement of any structural engineer. Pioneer of Architecture Minoo Mistri
Police Headquarters, Karachi
Designed in the early sixties, this building was given a symmetrical plan with a courtyard at the center. The entrance was designed as a policeman’s cap. The building rests on this base with two towers at the end. Instead of horizontal shades, vertical fins were given to protect the interiors against the low western sun. Initially when this building was being designed, the engineers encountered unstable soil conditions. They suggested that only a ground-plus-two structure could be constructed on that site. This would not fulfill the space requirement for offices. At this point I was called in. I designed the existing ground plus seven structure, using a raft foundation.
Teen Talwar Round About, Karachi
Teen Talwar was designed to commemorate the centennial of Quaid-e-Azam’s birth anniversary. It represents Unity, Faith and Discipline. The talwars ware designed to stand in progression to highlight the togetherness and forward-looking approach of the Quaid. To introduce lightness and spirituality in the structure, vertical slits in the form of jalis were introduced. These were given a 45-degree tilt. The foundations of the structure rest on piles to counteract the wind pressure.
Cinemas
Minoo Mistri had designed a number of cinemas in Karachi, which were amongst the best cin emas in the city during their time. Unfortunately all of these have been demolished now. He howev er remembers them with pride and a sense of achievement.
Capitol Cinema
I gave it a simple look with horizontal bands flowing down. The manner in which this build ing was balanced was simply delightful. Although the finishes were grim looking, reminding one of Le Corbusier’s brutal architecture, yet the rhythm of the door and window openings and vents gave the cinema that playful, teasing look of the romantic sixties, when everything seemed hopeful and brimming with love. I also made a painting for the interior, and wooden carvings for the staircase.
Rio Cinema
I gave special attention to the illumination design. As cinemas need to be recognized from a distance, and the advertisement of the film being screened should be clearly visible, this building was designed to make the advertisement boards prominent.
Message for the Young Architects…
* Be Honest; if not, you will not be able to control the contractor.
* Have the courage to face your clients; they come with crazy ideas. Once I had a client who took me to see various projects, because he wanted me to incorporate those ideas into my design. I felt his ideas to be very inappropriate. Thus, after seeing a couple of projects I told him to take me back to my office and look for another architect.
* Earn your own respect; In KDA I have a reputation for never violating the law. This is the respect I have built up and this is the respect that architects should have for the controlling agencies.
Important Projects Designed by Architect Minoo Mistri
* BVS School (addition of second floor), Abdullah Haroon. Road, Karachi
* Jamshed Memorial Hall, Bunder Road, Karachi
* Parsi Fire Temple Saddar, Karachi
* Grindlays Bank, I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi
* Police Headquarters, I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi
* Capitol Cinema
* Rio Cinema
* Syed Mazhar Abbas Gardezi Residence, Multan
* Staff Colony Apartments, Islamabad
* Guest Rooms in Cyrus Colony, Mehmoodabad, Karachi
* Hoorbai Hajiani Secondary School for Girls, Karachi
* Hotel Sindbad, Multan
* Protestant Church, Hyderabad
* Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Multan
* Minerva Court, Karachi
* Vesta Court, Karachi
* Sports Complex, Bunder Road Karachi
* Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Library (proposed), Larkana
* Bank of Bhawalpur (proposed), Karachi
