
We would like to take a moment to honor the passing of His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV and celebrate his visionary leadership and indelible influence in the world. Our long-standing relationship with The Aga Khan University (AKU) and His Highness has been a pivotal force in shaping the firm we are today.
In 1971, His Highness the Aga Khan, engaged Tom Payette – then not yet 40 – to design the AKU Hospital and campus in Karachi. At His Highness’s insistence, PAYETTE traveled to Spain, North Africa, Iran, and South Asia, to study patterns of spatial organization and inhabitation, uses of materials and ornament, and hierarchies of architectural forms, tectonics, and spaces.
The state-of-the-art hospital and medical education complex interprets without imitating vernacular architecture. What resulted is a 35-year-long exploration of the fusion of architectural forms, courtyards, local materials, passive systems, and healthcare planning principles.
PAYETTE has been honored to collaborate on more than a dozen additional buildings, expanding the Stadium Road campus to more than two million square feet. Today, the AKU Hospital serves over a million patients annually.
We will forever carry The Aga Khan in the ethos of our firm.
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