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OCCO

@occo_lhr

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Urban design, heritage management think/do tank. #urbanism #history #heritagemanagement #Lahore

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Lahore’s built heritage is not only its monuments, but also its public institutions. Colonial period hospitals like Mayo Hospital remain important not simply because of their age, but because of the intelligence and restraint with which they were designed. Their shaded corridors, courtyards, thick walls, and generous proportions responded to climate and public life with a clarity that still feels relevant today.

These buildings hold a shared place in the city’s memory across generations and backgrounds. Their conservation is not about nostalgia or freezing them in time, but about allowing them to evolve without losing their architectural integrity or civic presence. In a city increasingly shaped by expediency, they remind us that public architecture can still embody permanence, dignity, and ambition. #occo_lhr #heritage #lahorearchitecture #mayohospital by @occo_lhr

This lecture explores how regional traditions, cultural habits, and vernacular practices can inform contemporary architecture, enabling buildings and urban interventions to perform more effectively in today’s context. Focusing on Lahore as a spatial and social web, the session highlights how traditional approaches to climate, spatial planning, and urban form can be reinterpreted to address the challenges of the 21st century. Through examples at the scale of the city, participants will examine how historical legacies from Mughal planning to colonial interventions, shape today’s urban experience and how they can inspire strategies for renewal. Special attention will be given to the Walled City of Lahore and Mall Road, analyzing their urban grain, climate-responsive strategies, and ongoing revitalization projects. The lecture positions these case studies as frameworks for understanding how heritage and tradition can contribute to contemporary urban resilience and livability.
#occo_lhr #qatarmuseums #attiqahmed by @occo_lhr

Designed and fabricated by Saad Saquib and Wissam Malik during their internship with OCCO, “Sandh” is an urban bench developed by exploring concrete and metal as structural and expressive materials. The process emphasized learning the challenges of handling and casting concrete, allowing students to understand its potential in shaping durable urban furniture. The design responds to collective use, offering rest to users and reflection on how such interventions can influence patterns of rest, interaction, and movement within the city. #Sandh #UrbanFurniture #ConcreteDesign #PublicSpace #MaterialExploration #occo_lhr #BNULahore #InternshipProgram #DesignResearch #CityMaking by @occo_lhr

Highlight from OCCO’s summer internship programme 2025. Named after an Urdu short story, OVERCOAT is a streetlamp prototype designed and fabricated by Dua Zainab and Raahim Abdullah from BNU during the six week internship. The design exercise they opted to work on explored a series of dialogues first between site and object then use and weathering and finally between two contrasting materials, metal and concrete, to test how such combinations can redefine everyday urban furniture and settings. Beyond lighting, streetlamps shape the character, safety, and rhythm of urban settlements. This project encouraged thinking critically about materials, fabrication, and the broader impact of design on the city. #UrbanDesign #StreetFurniture #InternshipProgram #MaterialExploration #MetalAndConcrete #UrbanLighting #ArchitectureInternship #PublicSpaceDesign #DesignEducation #FutureArchitects #occo_lhr by @occo_lhr

Along Lahore’s historic Mall Road, 28 dead and 12 diseased trees stand as a silent warning of the city’s declining urban greenery. These trees, once vital to the ecological balance and heritage character of the boulevard, now face neglect and deterioration.
This mapping documents their exact locations to raise awareness and urge urgent intervention from relevant authorities. Protecting and restoring these trees is not just an environmental duty—it’s essential for preserving the visual and cultural integrity of one of Lahore’s most iconic streets. #MallRoad #UrbanForestry #SaveOurTrees #LahoreHeritage #EcologicalPreservation #UrbanGreening #ClimateAction #occo_lhr by @occo_lhr

Backspace: Reimagining Lahore’s Mall Road

Once known as Thandi Sarak (the Cool Road), Lahore’s Mall Road was a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly artery lined with historic trees and diverse architecture. Today, it faces challenges of pollution, congestion, and securitization—but its legacy as a social connector endures.

OCCO’s exhibition Backspace reimagines the Mall with shaded public spaces, pedestrian networks, and climate resilience strategies. Our study reveals that shaded sections of the road are up to 6°C cooler than unshaded areas—proving that trees are the simplest yet most effective tool for urban livability.

Originally built in 1851 to connect Anarkali with Mian Meer Cantonment, the Mall was designed with a conscious effort to introduce shade through local trees. Unlike older areas like Begumpura and Mozang, where narrow streets provided natural cooling, the Mall relied on carefully planned greenery. However, decades of car-centric development have disrupted this balance.

Rather than retrofitting the Mall for cars, we propose strengthening pedestrian networks, planting trees for continuous shade, and creating a viable walking environment. Dedicated public parking structures—designed in various typologies and presented in this exhibition—would eliminate parking from service lanes, freeing space for a more human-centered urban experience.

Lahore’s past holds the key to its future. British planners once adapted to the city’s climate through passive cooling and shaded streets—an approach deeply rooted in the subcontinent’s architectural traditions. In an era of rising temperatures and limited resources, reviving this logic is no longer a choice—it’s a necessity.

Backspace was shown at the #llf2025 where visitors explored these ideas through models, renders, and urban studies. Let’s reimagine the Mall—not as a relic of the past, but as a blueprint for a sustainable future.

#BackspaceLahore #OCCO #lahore #mallroadlahore #urbandesign #climateresilience #pedestriancities by @occo_lhr

We’re absolutely in awe of Ibrahim Butt’s visionary demonstration with OCCO Lahore, showcasing how Mall Road can be restored to its former glory. His dedication to bringing back its British-era charm is truly inspiring, with a focus on making it greener 🌿, more walkable 🚶‍♂️, and accessible for all. Lahore, once known for its beautiful, pedestrian-friendly streets, has unfortunately become less walkable in recent years, with the combination of hot air 🌞, pollution 🌫️, and crowded roads making it difficult for people to enjoy the city on foot. Ibrahim’s demonstration offers a much-needed glimpse of hope, where green spaces and thoughtful design can transform the environment into a more sustainable and inviting place for the people of Lahore. His vision beautifully blends heritage 🏛️ and modernity, ensuring that Mall Road’s historical charm is preserved while creating a healthier, more enjoyable space for everyone. With this forward-thinking approach, Ibrahim is offering a powerful solution to the urban challenges we face today, and we can’t wait to see this vision come to life 🌍✨.

#asmachishty #destinationspk #saafdestinations #lahore #climatechange #cityofliterature #alhamra by @occo_lhr

#LLF2025 * @occo_lhr present an exhibition at the Alhamra on Lahore’s Mall Road and its urban experience. by @occo_lhr

A Very Happy New Year #lahore #urbanmemories #memoryscapes by @occo_lhr

Karachi Cantt Railway station’s ongoing restoration is producing outstanding results by @occo_lhr

OCCO x @aedl_lhr Our proposal for building a wall around the walled city was recently shown as part of the “Simultaneity AI and Design” exhibition at @lahorefortofficial as part of the @design_summit_lahore curated by @rashidrana_offcial @aarish_sardar @mehmil_ishtiaq @aiman.gillani the project was first shown at @lahorelitfest in 2015 and to date remains unbuilt. Further details on the project can be found in the @lahorebiennalefoundation reader “Lahore Biennale 01” available from @readings.pk and published by @skiraparis by @occo_lhr

It was a pleasure welcoming the UNESCO delegation from Italy for a discussion on materiality local building techniques and appropriate architectural forms for a storied city like Lahore. From left to right Mr. Usman Sami
Conservation Architect, Dr. Gaetano Palumbo
Cultural Heritage Documentation, Assessment, and Management Expert, Ms. Rosa Iglesias
Museum Graphic Designer, Mr. Antonio Giammarusti
Architect - Museographer, Ms. Laura Nicolini
Conservation Architect, A.R.S. Progetti, Mr. Attiq uddin Ahmed, Dr. Cristina Menegazzi
International Expert in Culture and Heritage - UNESCO Islamabad, Mr. Daniele Fanciullacci
CEO - A.R.S. Progetti, Mr. Jawwad Nakai
Architect by @occo_lhr