A Capsule in Time: Marina Tabassum on Architecture with Lasting Impact

Architecture is often seen as something static — a monument, a statement, a symbol of permanence. But for Marina Tabassum, it’s something else entirely: a living response to place, people, and change. In this episode of the Culture Shifts Podcast, I’m joined by Marina Tabassum, architect and educator based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and designer of this year’s 25th Serpentine Pavilion in London.

We talk about her distinct approach to building in both the Global South and North. From the lightweight, movable Khudi Bari homes for climate-displaced families in Bangladesh to her London pavilion A Capsule in Time, envisioned as a structure with a second life as a library. Marina shares how local materials like bamboo, brick, and mud shape her work, and why true sustainability means designing not only with the land, but with the people.

Drawing from collaborations with geographers, anthropologists, and communities themselves, Marina challenges the idea of architecture as purely aesthetic, instead positioning it as a force for resilience, equality, and quiet transformation.

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