TOTO Gallery·MA in Tokyo is currently hosting "People Place Poiesis," a comprehensive exhibition that explores how Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA) is revolutionizing architectural design in Bangladesh through climate-responsive innovations, community empowerment, and lightweight construction systems designed for a rapidly changing world. The exhibition, which runs until February 15th, 2026, spans two floors of the gallery and extends into the outdoor courtyard, featuring a full-scale installation of the Khudi Bari, MTA's groundbreaking flood-resilient housing prototype.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is the Khudi Bari, a compact and easily assembled shelter specifically designed for people displaced by flooding or forced migration in Bangladesh. This innovative structure is built from lightweight components that local communities can erect and dismantle themselves, serving both as emergency relief housing and everyday dwelling. The original Bangladeshi version is displayed alongside a newly developed Japan-specific adaptation, created in collaboration with architect Kazuya Morita and students from Kyoto Prefectural University. This pairing demonstrates how designs born from Bangladesh's deltaic conditions can be successfully reinterpreted within Japan's satoyama landscapes.
Visitors begin their journey through a comprehensive display of Marina Tabassum Architects' work rooted in the riverine and agricultural regions of Bangladesh, where approximately one-third of the land can be submerged by seasonal flooding. The exhibition features photographs, videos, and architectural models, some of which were originally showcased at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, that illustrate the spatial, environmental, and social challenges that shape daily life outside Dhaka. These displays provide crucial context for understanding the urgent need for climate-adaptive architecture in the region.
The upper floor of the exhibition shifts focus to Dhaka's dense urban neighborhoods, highlighting MTA's civic and community-oriented buildings. The display showcases community centers, mosques, and public spaces that demonstrate how the practice employs geometric design principles, locally-sourced brick construction, and strategic ventilation systems to create open, comfortable spaces without relying on mechanical cooling. The acclaimed Bait Ur Rouf Mosque serves as a key reference point, exemplifying the firm's approach with its construction from locally fired bricks and design as a serene, naturally ventilated sanctuary.
Through the Foundation for Architecture and Community Equity (F.A.C.E.), Tabassum's team has deployed Khudi Bari units across Bangladesh and adapted them into larger configurations, including a community center within Rohingya refugee camps. This demonstrates the scalability and versatility of the design concept beyond individual housing units. The exhibition also features a model of the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion, showing how MTA translates its climate-responsive principles into international contexts and global architectural discourse.
This Tokyo edition of the exhibition, which has previously been presented in Munich and Lisbon, sharpens the spatial contrasts of the display by placing rural, urban, and transnational responses in close dialogue. The thoughtful curation allows visitors to understand the connections between local solutions and global applications, highlighting how innovative approaches to climate resilience can transcend geographical boundaries while remaining rooted in specific environmental and cultural contexts.
