Take this short quiz and see how much you know about this year’s nominated projects of the prestigious Aga Khan Awards for Architecture.
Click on the one correct answer.
Shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2016, the Royal Academy for Nature Conservation in Jordan serves dual functionality. What are those two functionalities?
A bridge and the tourist center
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An oasis and a rest stop
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An environmental academy and restaurant/craft-shop
Correct. The Academy Building has a double folded functionality: from one side it is an environmental academy that presents nature-oriented educational programs, on the other, it is a high-end restaurant and a craft shop that finance the academic program of the project. Read more here: http://www.khammash.com/projects/royal-academy-nature-conservation
Who laid the foundation stone of Royal Academy for Nature Conservation?
Architect Ammar Khammash
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HRH Crown Prince Hussein
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His Majesty King Abdullah II
Correct. His Majesty King Abdullah II laid the foundation stone of a specialized Academy for training on the protection of nature and sustainable development near Ajloun Forest Reserve in 2010. Read more here: http://www.rscn.org.jo/royal-academy-nature-conservation
In addition to the concrete, what other local material was used extensively as the structural element at several locations of Royal Academy for Nature Conservation?
Timber
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Bamboo
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Aljouni lime stone
Correct. In addition to cast-in-place reinforced concrete, Aljouni lime stone is used as both an architectural finish and a structural element at several locations. Read more here: http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project/royal-academy-nature-conservation
Which materials reflect the industrial spirit of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2016 nominated New Power Station building of Baku, Azerbaijan?
Steel
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Concrete
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Zinc and wood
Correct. The use of zinc and wood for the large sloped roof and the façade helped the building revive the industrial spirit of the site. Read more here: http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project/new-power-station
Who is the architect of New Power Station building of Baku, Azerbaijan?
Suyabatmaz Demirel Architects
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Selçuk Avcı Architects
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Erginoğlu & Çalışlar Architects
Correct. Erginoğlu & Çalışlar Architects are based in Turkey. Read more here http://www.ecarch.com/profile/
What was the original idea and plan for the old power station building of Baku, Azerbaijan?
To demolish and turn it into a park
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Renovate and build a new power station
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Renovate and turn it into a recreational building
Correct. The original plan asked the architects to transform the old, late-19th century power station building into an event hall. The architects proposed designing a new building just across the old one, and use the old one as a scenery. Watch the video for more details https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FxTEdSpYa0
What has been the main achievement of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s shortlisted project of Restoration of Nasrid Tower in Spain?
To make the tower accessible, and encompassed the repair and restoration of the original building
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To preserve as much as possible of the original materials
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To transform a derelict building into a symbol of the village and its past
Correct. Click here for more details http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project/nasrid-tower-restoration
Who is the project architect for the restoration of Nasirid Tower?
Santiago Architect
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Rafael Moneo Architect
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Castillo Miras Architect
Correct. Click here for more details http://www.castillomiras.es/en/estudio.html
Nasirid Tower was originally built for?
Leisure
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King’s residence
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Military defense
Correct. The tower was originally built by the Arab kingdom of Nasirids during their rule in Spain when their territories were being reduced to the southern Andalusia region. Click here for more details http://www.designboom.com/architecture/castillo-miras-arquitectos-nazari-tower-restoration-in-huercal-overa/
Quiz adopted from the following three blog posts.
Researched & Compiled by Arif Ali
All quizzes in the series:
All 19 Shortlisted Projects
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 19): Makoko Floating School, Lagos, Nigeria - The Floating School is a prototype structure whose main aim is to generate an alternative building system and urban culture for the populations of Africa’s coastal regions. The triangular A-frame or pyramid
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 18): 40 Knots House, Tehran, Iran - Creating a small and low budget apartment building in Tehran does not leave much space for creativity, yet an architect can try to do something with the material, textures, outer envelope and light.
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 17): Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, Dhaka, Bangladesh - In an increasingly dense neighbourhood of Dhaka, the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque was raised on a plinth on a site axis creating a 13-degree angle with the qibla direction, which called for creativity with the layout.
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 16): Bunateka Libraries, various locations, Kosovo - A series of public libraries for disadvantaged youth in rural areas. “The idea is that books are a source of knowledge just like water is the source of life,” says the architect.
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 15): Casa-Port New Railway Station, Casablanca, Morocco - Casa-Port railway station (French: Gare de Casa-Port) is a "Moroccan National Railway" station in the centre of Casablanca. This transport hub, designed to anticipate 25 million passenger trips-per-year in the future
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 14): Ceuta Public Library, Spain - Ceuta, is a small Spanish enclave city on the Moroccan soil. The site of the Ceuta library is located on the original Marinid dynasty's archaeological area...The excavation ground was included in the interior space of the public building, and the architects
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 13): Doha Tower, Doha, Qatar - It is a cylindrical volume that measures 45m in diameter. The steel and concrete structure follows a diamond shaped grid that bends along the virtual surface of the cylinder. The façade uses a double skin system. The exterior skin is composed
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 12): Friendship Centre, Bangladesh - The Friendship Centre in Gaibandha, Bangladesh, was built for the local NGO Friendship, which provides services for poor citizens of the region. Built by Dhaka-based architect Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury, it was designed
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 11): Guelmim School of Technology, Morocco - Situated in Guelmim, Morocco, 200 kilometres south of Agadir and known as the “door of the Sahara”, the School was conceived in line with a policy of decentralisation and making education more accessible to those living in remote areas.
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 10): Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, Beirut, Lebanon - The Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) building at the American University of Beirut (AUB) advances the university’s academic mission in the 21st century
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 9): King Fahad National Library, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The King Fahad National Library is one of the most important cultural buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was completed and went into use for its intended purpose in November 2013.
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 8): Manouchehri House, Textile Centre & Boutique Hotel, Kashan, Iran - The Manouchehri House is a boutique hotel and textile centre situated in Kashan’s historic residential neighborhood, in the province of Isfahan. The project entailed the restoration of a 19th century merchant home
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 7): Micro Yuan’er – Hutong/courtyard Renovation, Beijing, China - Micro Yuan'er is a project by zhang ke’s Beijing-based standardarchitecture, which revitalizes a historic hutong courtyard. The inserted structure, which contains a miniature art space and library
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 6): Restoration of Nasrid Tower, Almeria, Spain - This project by Castillo Miras Arquitectos explores the dichotomy between the solid, ageless construction of the existing 13th century Nasrid Tower, and the provisional, light, and degradable nature of the contemporary. 
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 5): New Power Station – Baku, Azerbaijan - The Power Station is located on a natural harbor in the Bay of Baku, which used to serve as a small shipyard for the ships working for the oil platforms. The original brief asked the architects to demolish the old
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 4): Royal Academy for Nature Conservation – Ajloun Forest Reserve, Jordan - Royal Academy for Nature Conservation in Ajloun Forest Reserve of Jordan is “the first centre in the Arab world” specialised in offering training on nature conservation.
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 3): Superkilen – Public Park – Copenhagen, Denmark - Superkilen is a public park in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. A public space promoting integration across lines of ethnicity, religion and culture. A meeting place for residents of Denmark
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 2): Tabiat – Pedestrian Bridge – Tehran, Iran - Tabiat Bridge, literally: “Nature Bridge” is the largest pedestrian overpass built in Tehran, Iran. The architects first conceived the two-to-three level, 270-metre-long curved pedestrian bridge of varying width
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016 Cycle (Shortlisted Project # 1): Thread – Artists Residency & Cultural Center – Senegal - Thread is a socio-cultural centre that houses two artists’ dwellings and studio space for local and international artists. An ecologically sensitive meeting place which demonstrates how art and architecture can be part of rural life
Ismailimail 