Geneva, Switzerland, 9 May 2016 – The 19 shortlisted projects for the 2016 Aga Khan Award for Architecture were announced today. The projects, which were selected by the Master Jury from amongst 348 projects nominated for the 13th Award cycle, will be competing for US$ 1 million in prize money.
The 19 projects are now undergoing rigorous investigations by on-site reviewers – architects, conservation specialists or structural engineers themselves – who visit and evaluate each project first-hand. Their reports are the basis for the Master Jury’s selection of the eventual winners.
Nineteen Shortlisted Projects:
- New Power Station, Baku (Azerbaijan)
- Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, Dhaka (Bangladesh)
- Friendship Centre, Gaibandha (Bangladesh)
- Micro Yuan’er, Beijing (China)
- Superkilen, Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Manouchehri House, Kashan (Iran)
- Tabiat Pedestrian Bridge, Tehran (Iran)
- 40 Knots House, Tehran (Iran)
- Royal Academy for Nature Conservation, Ajloun (Jordan)
- Bunateka Libraries, Various Locations (Kosovo)
- Issam Fares Institute, Beirut (Lebanon)
- Guelmim School of Technology, Guelmim (Morocco)
- Casa-Port New Railway Station, Casablanca (Morocco)
- Makoko Floating School, Lagos (Nigeria)
- Doha Tower, Doha (Qatar)
- King Fahad National Library, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
- Thread: Artist Residency and Cultural Center, Sinthian (Senegal)
- Nasrid Tower Restoration, Huercal-Overa (Spain)
- Ceuta Public Library, Ceuta (Spain)
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s mandate is different from that of many other architecture prizes: it selects projects – from slum upgrading to high rise “green” buildings – that not only exhibit architectural excellence but also improve the overall quality of life. Over the last four decades, AKAA has steadfastly championed the needs and aspirations of human beings within the practice of architecture.
The Award is also different because it not only rewards architects, but also identifies municipalities, builders, clients, master craftsmen and engineers who have played important roles in the realization of a project. Since the Award was launched 39 years ago, over 110 projects have received the award and more than 9,000 building projects have been documented.
The 2016 Award Master Jury
Projects commissioned by the Aga Khan or any of the institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network are ineligible for the Award. For this cycle hundreds of nominators throughout the world proposed 348 projects from 69 countries, which were then reviewed by an independent Master Jury.
The nine members of the 2016 Master Jury are:
- Suad Amiry, Founder, Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation, Ramallah
- Emre Arolat, Founder, EAA-Emre Arolat Architecture, Istanbul
- Akeel Bilgrami, Sydney Morgenbesser Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University, New York
- Luis Fernàndez-Galiano, Editor, Architectura Viva, Madrid
- Hameed Haroon, Chief Executive Officer, Herald Publications, Karachi
- Lesley Lokko, Head, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg
- Mohsen Mostafavi, Dean, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge
- Dominique Perrault, Founder, Dominique Perrault Architecture, Paris
- Hossein Rezai, Director, Web Structures, Singapore
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established by the Aga Khan in 1977 to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence. The Award recognises examples of architectural excellence in the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community improvement and development, historic preservation, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscape design and improvement of the environment.
A brief overview of the shortlist of the 2016 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Sources:
Ismailimail 