Islamabad High Court

Completed in 2023, the design of the Islamabad High Court was chosen through a design competition in 2013. In the words of the architect, the design explores the "inherent and timeless relationship between light and architecture" and the "connection between light and justice" by creating a building that would be "a container of light effects".

The Judges’ entrance in the building is marked by a grand concrete and marble staircase. A central opening permits the lobby to be infused with the focused and powerful light quality. Such an atmosphere serves as a constant reminder of the universal justice of God.

The High court is imagined as the most important volume in the scheme – an ovular intervention. As the public walks through the Garden of Justice, the experience the high Court ahead of them – a screened constitution wall within which a dome structure stands tall. Inside, a circulation pathway is marked between the curved walls of the high court and the light filtering through the constitution screen washes the corridor with the very text that informs the judicial process.

Source:

“Islamabad High Court,” The Architects Studio Tariq Hasan, accessed February 8, 2026, https://www.studiotariqhasan.com/competition/islamabad-high-court. Archived at: https://perma.cc/XW62-9Q8P.