Nayyar Ali Dada (Urdu: نیر علی دادا) (born November 11, 1945 in Delhi, India), is a renowned Pakistani architect. Born Nayyar Ali Zaidi, he was given his commonly recognized last name by a teacher for his painting and drawing skills. His family were originally Indian Muslims, but migrated from Delhi to Lahore in the 1950s, where he, in 1957, enrolled into Punjab University. Two years later, he entered Pakistan's National College of Arts, where he graduated in 1964 and stayed as a lecturer. The institution named Dada a Fellow of the College in 1976. In the early 1970s, Dada entered the professional world, setting up a small practice in Lahore. From there, he gained wide recognition for the Al-Hamra Arts Complex in Lahore, which was seen as one of the first examples of modern architecture in Pakistan. He was later asked to design the complimenting Al-Hamra Open Air Theatre alongside the complex, for which he received a Building of the Decade award in 1989. In 1992, Dada received the President's Pride of Performance award for his services to architecture and conservation in Pakistan. To date, he is also the only Pakistani architect to receive the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which he received in 1998. Buildings associated with Dada include:
- Al-Hamra Arts Complex (Lahore)
- Al-Hamra Open Air Theatre (Lahore)
- Bagh-e-Jinnah (restoration) (Lahore)
- Emco Industries Complex (Lahore)
- Habib Bank (Quetta)
- Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore)
- Industrial and Agricultural Investment Co-operation Limited (Islamabad)
- Lahore Zoo (Lahore)
- Quaid-e-Azam Library (restoration) (Lahore)
- Saudi-Pak Tower (Islamabad)
- Shakir Ali Museum (Lahore)
- Sheraton Hotel (Lahore)
References
Nayyar Ali Dada. ArchNet. Retrieved on 2006-06-20. Personalities (Professional): Nayyar Ali Dada. Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
