Summer Palace

Constructed by the sixth Mughal Emperor during the seventeenth century, the Summer Palace [Pari Mahal] was built as a seasonal retreat for the royal family. Located at the basement of the Shish Mahal of the Lahore Fort, the Summer Palace has massive walls, an elaborate system of water channels, and a maze-like layout. It’s a space in which interiors and exteriors blur, and where night and day seemingly meld together. This character lends itself to suggestions of rendezvous and intrigue in present-day folklore. The unique architectural features of this site present noteworthy curatorial possibilities, and it is a major site for the Lahore Biennale 01 and 02.