Six Projects Win the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Six projects were announced as the winners of the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The Award was established in 1977 to encourage building concepts that addressed the needs of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence.

Every three years the Aga Khan Award for Architecture identifies municipalities, builders, clients, master artisans and engineers who have played important roles in the realization of a project.

The six winners, who will share $ 1 million between them, were chosen by a nine-membered jury, which included: Anthony Kwamé Appiah, Meisa Batayneh, Sir David Chipperfield, Elizabeth Diller, Edhem Eldem, Mona Fawaz, Kareem Ibrahim, Ali M. Malkawi, Nondita Correa Mehrotra.

REVITALISATION OF MUHARRAQ (BAHRAIN)

The Project, which highlights the World Heritage site’s pearling history, was first initiated as a series of restoration and reuse projects. The project evolved into a comprehensive programme that aimed to re-balance the city’s demographic makeup by creating public spaces, providing community and cultural venues, and improving the overall environment.

ARCADIA EDUCATION PROJECT (BANGLADESH)

The Project in South Kanarchor is a modular structure that takes a novel approach to a riverine site that is often flooded for five months every year. Rather than disrupting the ecosystem to create a mound for building, the architect devised the solution of an amphibious structure that could sit on the ground or float on the water, depending on seasonal conditions.

PALESTINIAN MUSEUM (PALESTINE)

The Project in Birzeit, which crowns a terraced hill overlooking the Mediterranean, is the recipient of the LEED Gold certification because of its sustainable construction. The zigzagging forms of the Museum’s architecture and hillside gardens are inspired by the surrounding agricultural terraces, stressing the link with the land and Palestinian heritage.

PUBLIC SPACES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (RUSSIAN FEDERATION)

A programme in the Republic of Tatarstan that, to date, has improved 328 public spaces all over Tatarstan.  The ambitious programme sought to counter the trend toward private ownership by refocusing priorities on quality public spaces for the people of Tatarstan.  It has now become a model throughout the Russian Federation.

ALIOUNE DIOP UNIVERSITY TEACHING AND RESEARCH UNIT (SENEGAL)

The Project in Bambey, where a scarcity of resources led to the use of bioclimatic strategies, includes a large double roof canopy and latticework that avoids solar radiation but allows air to flow through it. By employing familiar construction techniques and following sustainability principles, it succeeded in keeping costs and maintenance demands to a minimum, while still making a bold architectural statement.

WASIT WETLAND CENTRE (UAE)

Wasit Wetland Centre, in Sharjah, is a design that transformed a wasteland into a wetland and functioned as a catalyst for biodiversity and environmental education. While its indigenous ecosystem has been restored, it has also proven to be a popular place for visitors to appreciate and learn about their natural environment.

Photo descriptions courtesy of akdn.org.

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