Born in Jerusalem in 1938, Jafar Tukan is a Jordanian architect of Palestinian origin. He studied at the Al-Najah National College in Nablus until he joined the American University in Beirut in 1955, graduating in 1960. His regionalist approach to architecture earned him the reputation of a pioneering architect in the Arab World.
In his early career, Tukan worked as design architect with the Jordanian Ministry of Public Works. He then practiced in Lebanon from 1961 to 1976, joining the firm
Dar Al-Handasah Consulting Engineers at their headquarter offices in Beirut, then establishing a private practice in Beirut in 1968. In 1973, he formed the partnership Rais and Tukan Architects, which was later relocated to Amman under the name Jafar Tukan and Partners Architects and Engineers.
Tukan's work extends to both architecture and planning. Amongst his most notable projects are the new
Amman City Hall (1996),
prototype kindergarten schools in Dubai (1980), the
Jubilee School in Amman (1999), and the
SOS Children's Village (1991) in Aqaba, Jordan, which was presented with an Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2001.
He is a member of the board of trustees of Jordan Museum, the National Gallery of Art-Jordan, Jordan River Foundation and The Jordan University. Tukan is also active in professional organizations for architecture, engineering, protection of the historic built environment, and the fine arts in Jordan and Lebanon. He belongs to several committees including that of the National Gallery and the Board of Trustees of the Palestinian Art Court – Al Hoash. In 2003, Jafar Tukan teamed with Omar Zein and Shadi Abusalam, founding Consolidated Consultants Group, a multidisciplinary engineering firm providing integrated services in the areas of Architectural & Engineering Design, Management Services and Specialized Studies. In 2004, he was a member of the Aga Khan Award Jury.
Jafar tukan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Architecture from Jordan University of Science and Technology. He passed away in Amman on November 25, 2014.
see
Yarmouk University with
Kenzo Tange