Renowned Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari has refused to accept the prestigious Wolf Prize 2025 in the field of architecture over the continuing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, she confirmed on Tuesday.
The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel since 1978 to living scientists and artists for their “achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people.”
It is awarded in six fields, including agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics and an arts prize that rotates between architecture, music, painting and sculpture.
Lari, who works in the intersection of architecture and social justice, wrote to Wolf Foundation that she was grateful for the honour, but could not accept it “in view of the unfortunate continuing genocide in Gaza.”
“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 told Arab News.
“Declining the award was the very least I could do,” Lari said.
Lari is known for her socially conscious works on humanitarian grounds and for catering to the spatial needs of Pakistan’s most marginalised communities.
She co-founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan with her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari, in 1980 and has constructed over 50,000 sustainable self-built shelters and over 80,000 ecological cooking stoves using natural materials like mud, lime and bamboo.
The philanthropic architect, who advocates that traditional construction techniques can lead to low-impact carbon-neutral buildings, was awarded the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects Royal Gold Medal in 2023 for her humanitarian work.