(left) Turtle Poem 1999 & Calligraphy 2006, by H. Masud Taj. © H. Masud Taj. (right) Photograph of Hassan Fathy 1976, © Martin Lyons

“Hassan Fathy’s head was in the heavens, heart in the right place, and feet planted firmly on earth.”—H. Masud Taj on his Turtle poem & Hassan Fathy

January 1, 2026 3 Comments

H. Masud Taj elucidates how, as a young architecture student, he dropped out of his institution to travel and learn from monuments, discovering in Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia a turtle column that catalyzed an inquiry, hearing Hassan Fathy’s explication of the turtle in Cairo, ultimately crystallizing in Taj’s poetic meditation on dwelling.

“Erickson’s witty, though unexpected response, highlights what makes architecture such a worthwhile pursuit.” — H. Masud Taj

October 7, 2025 No Comments

H. Masud Taj, recollecting Architect Arthur Erickson’s humorous wish to be reborn as an elephant, which evoked his poem “Elephant,” weaves themes of memory, architecture, origami, and a worldwide journey celebrating creativity, resilience, and the enduring power of form.

An Architect Eats Samosa

April 11, 2024 No Comments

ArchitectureLive! continues with Alimentative Architecture – The fifth in a series of articles by Architect-Poet-Calligrapher H Masud Taj interfacing architecture with food via geometry.

The Child Model & The Architect

February 29, 2024 1 Comment

H. Masud Taj reflects on his early experiences as a child model for Lifebuoy and Dalda, drawing parallels between the world of advertising and the principles of architecture.

An Architect Eats Medu Vada

December 29, 2023 No Comments

ArchitectureLive! continues with Alimentative Architecture – The fourth in a series of articles by Architect-Poet-Calligrapher H Masud Taj interfacing architecture with food via geometry.

An Architect Eats Chapati

November 16, 2023 No Comments

ArchitectureLive! continues with Alimentative Architecture – The third in a series of articles, An Architect Eats Chapati, by Architect-Poet-Calligrapher H Masud Taj interfaces architecture with food via geometry.

An Architect Eats Vada Pav

October 16, 2023 No Comments

ArchitectureLive! celebrates UN World Food Day with Alimentative Architecture – The second in a series of articles by Architect-Poet-Calligrapher H Masud Taj interfacing architecture with food via geometry.

An Architect Eats Jalebi

September 16, 2023 No Comments

Alimentative Architecture – A series of articles by Architect-Poet-Calligrapher H Masud Taj interfacing architecture with food via geometry.

Towards a New Vernacular.
H Masud Taj introduces the work of
Asha & Prabhakar Baste

January 30, 2023 1 Comment

First published in the 1997 monograph, ‘The Sheltering Angle-Architecture of Asha and Prabhakar Baste’, this essay, authored by H Masud Taj, is an introduction to the work of architects Asha Baste and Prabhakar Baste and is being republished on the occasion of their new (2022) book.

A Calligraphic tribute to B.V.Doshi by H Masud Taj

Life is intangible
A Calligraphic Tribute to B.V. Doshi

January 25, 2023 2 Comments

Architect B.V. Doshi passed away on January 24, 2023, leaving behind a legacy that would continue to inspire many generations to come.

Elements of Architecture
by Architect-Poet-Calligrapher

January 1, 2023 1 Comment

This article looks at mundane architectural elements from a fresh perspective. In the form of a group of essays, this is a New Year’s wish from the author to our readers.

The Dubai Dream, by H Masud Taj

December 14, 2022 No Comments

In The Dubai Dream, H Masud Taj talks about the dark side of putting up a display of, what he calls, an ‘urban eye candy’.

Thus Spake the Toad (Warts and All), by H Masud Taj

December 6, 2022 No Comments

Authored by H Masud Taj, Thus Spake The Toad, was published in a thematic issue on architectural education of A+D: A Journal of Indian Architecture; Jan/Feb 1998: Vol.XV No.1.

My Father Taught Me To Teach | H Masud Taj writes about his father- the designer of the IIM Ahmedabad Logo

November 24, 2022 7 Comments

As the potential demolition of the IIM Ahmedabad campus makes its way back into the news, H Masud Taj gives a tribute to his father, Hasan Taj- the designer of the IIM Ahmedabad Logo.

The Queen & I | H Masud Taj

October 11, 2022 3 Comments

‘The Queen and I’ is the author, H Masud Taj’s, recollection of his (in Canada) and his family’s (in Moradabad) encounters with two Queens of British Monarchy. The architect’s essay journeys from his childhood home in Moradabad, the design he did for Eagle Vacuum Flask in Mumbai, the calligraphic long-poem permanent installation he designed for the Consulate General of Canada in Bengaluru and the induction of his book in the Library of Parliament in Ottawa, Canada.

H Masud Taj

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