His Highness the Aga Khan: “architecture will help people to come together across old divides ….”

“At its best, architecture will help people to come together across old divides rather than re-enforcing those divides and isolating one group from another.”
His Highness the Aga Khan

His Highness the Aga Khan  established the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1977 in an effort to connect the past with the present while also connecting peoples of the diverse regions. In his address at the presentation of the tenth awards of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Malaysia, His Highness explained the role of architecture in connecting people:

“At its best, architecture is an inherently pluralistic enterprise – one that honours diversity – including diversity within and among Islamic communities. At its best, architecture will help people to come together across old divides rather than re-enforcing those divides and isolating one group from another.”

His Highness the Aga Khan expressed his vision for the future of Islamic architecture:

“…we can now welcome the steady emergence of new, highly talented generations of Muslims and non-Muslims who appreciate the heritage of world-class buildings and spaces which characterized the Ummah for so many centuries – and who understand the power of Islamic cultural well-springs to inspire continuing accomplishment.

The talents and insights of these new generations of young creative people will be an enormously valuable resource in the years ahead. It is essential that the decision makers of the Ummah and of their development partners should trust and embrace these new generations of architectural professionals. It is my deep conviction that if this is done, while errors may be made, the outcomes will surely include a sense of authenticity, inspiration, heritage and creativity which will restore to many areas of the Ummah a sense of the architectural greatness of its past. If that happens, then the impact on the physical environment of world civilizations, well beyond the frontiers of the Ummah, will also be profound.”

One of the recipients of the 2007 awards of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture was the Rehabilitation of the City of Shibam.

By incorporating varied aspects of urban development into the conservation process, the project has enabled the community to make a direct link between heritage issues and improved economic conditions. (Photo: Anne DE HENNING/AKDN)

The average house has six storeys and about 500 square metres of total surface., of which 225 square metres are useable, the remainder being formed of walls and residual spaces. (Photo: Anne DE HENNING//AKDN)

The production of the traditional cement known as ramad has proved difficult. Retired master builders were engaged to train the younger ones to reproduce the ramad process. (Photo: Anne DE HENNING/AKDN)

The city has four public squares as well as smaller plazas between the housing clusters. (Photo: Anne DE HENNING/AKDN)

References:
Press Centre, Aga Khan Development Network
Nine Projects Receive 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Compiled by Nimira Dewji