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2001 Aga Khan Award for Architecture Winners

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On November 6 the Aga Khan foundation announced the winners of the 2001 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The award, which is given every three years (see previous articles) and has now completed its eighth cycle, represents the highest recognition for projects that specifically address Muslim societies and contexts. These new winning projects span the globe from Turkey to Malaysia and range from urban revitalization projects to a cultural museum. Each winner, which in some cases is a single architect/ team and in other cases a community organization, receive a portion of a $500,000 prize.

Revitalization and Development Projects

Several of the winners were actually projects focused on community improvement and revitalization of existing architecture rather than new construction. One such project is New Life for Old Structures, Various locations, Iran which is really more of a program dedicated to preserving and restoring historical buildings and preparing them for community use. Initiated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in 1988 the program covers over 30 projects in cities such as Tabriz and the famous city of Isfahan. The program is recognized by the award jury as promoting "sustainable urban regeneration" at a local level while preserving architectural history of national importance. Another program with a similar community development focus is the "Barefoot Architects" project in India named both for the "Barefoot College" in Tilonia as well as for the local builders who designed and built the projects despite having no formal education or training. One of their main projects was the campus for the "Barefoot College". This is actually the Social Work Research Centre established in 1972 and borne out of the idea that the village was losing its identity and value as the city continued to draw inhabitants away. Considering the emphasis on the village many of the projects are not surprisingly of a vernacular style.

New Construction

Not all the award winners necessarily focused on improving existing buildings or long-term community development. The Datai Hotel in Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia is a recent project completed in 1993 by Kerry Hill Architects (an Australian firm). This resort hotel, situated on a 750 hectare site, is unique for its sensitivity to context including ecological as well as architectural considerations which is uncommon to projects geared towards tourism. The hotel, which combines vernacular and modern styles, was placed at a location away from both the beach front as well as rain forest to reduce the disruption of the natural environment.