WEB DESK: Renowned architect Yasmeen Lari has been chosen for the 2025 Wolf Prize in architecture but she has declined the award, citing the ongoing war in Gaza.
In a statement to the Wolf Foundation, Lari expressed gratitude but refused the award, calling the situation in Gaza a “continuing genocide.”
“I declined the award because of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a reason I explicitly stated in my response to them. Given the current situation in Gaza, accepting the award was out of the question,” she said, according to Business Recorder.
An international award granted in Israel since 1978 to living scientists and artists for “achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people”, the Wolf Prize is awarded in six fields, including agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics, and an arts category that rotates between architecture, music, painting, and sculpture.
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Lari, known for her work in sustainable architecture and social justice, has built thousands of eco-friendly shelters for marginalised communities in Pakistan. She was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Royal Gold Medal in 2023 for her humanitarian efforts. Alongside her husband Suhail Zaheer Lari, she co-founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan in 1980.
The Wolf Foundation has yet to comment on her decision.