Dhaka Totem

If you open this book on a random page, without a plan, in an attempt to satisfy the curiosity that we may have been able to awaken with the haphazardly arranged letters of the title on the cover. You may have wondered whether this is a travel guide, a book of short stories or a collection of essays on the city after which it has been named. Our first objective in this edition is to arouse curiosity among readers and visitors of bookshops and libraries. If we managed to achieve that goal through the graphical layout of the cover, we may as well reveal now why it is called Dhaka Totem, and we invite you to roam through its pages in the unknown and enigmatic capital of Bangladesh. Welcome on board. Attracted perhaps by that totem of contemporary architecture, the building of the Parliament of Bangladesh designed by Louis Kahn, or maybe by their curiosity and a large dose of professionalism, different Spanish architects visited Dhaka during the years 2017 and 2018 and this parade of talented workers was a great success. The Embassy of Spain in Dhaka supported the idea of creating this book with the texts, drawings and photographs produced by the visiting architects at the BRAC University. This project has received the help of collaborators from different countries and walks of life. Some of them have been living in this city for years, even if they are only passing through, and others were born here. They all have something to say about the city in which they live and which lives in them. Please fasten your seat belts, put your mobile phones on plane mode and your seats in the position which you find most comfortable.