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| 20 projects shortlisted for Aga Khan Award for Architecture  The shortlist of nominees for the 2013 cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture was announced today at the Palacio das Necessidades (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The 20 nominees for the US$ 1 million prize range from a modern high rise apartment block to the revival of traditional building techniques. Shortlisted projects, which are selected by an independent Master Jury, are located in Afghanistan, Austria, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Thailand and Yemen. The shortlist includes:Maria Grazia Cutuli Primary School, Herat, Afghanistan Islamic Cemetery, Altach, Austria Museum of Handcraft Paper, Gaoligong Mountain, China Rehabilitation of Nagaur Fort, Nagaur, Rajasthan, India Preservation of the Mbaru Niang, Wae Rebo Village, Flores Island, Indonesia Apartment No.1, Mahallat, Iran Rehabilitation of Tabriz Bazaar, Tabriz, Iran Reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp, Tripoli, Lebanon Hassan II Bridge, Rabat, Morocco Mohammed VI Football Academy, Salé, Morocco Preservation of Sacred and Collective Oasis Sites, Guelmim Region, Morocco Revitalisation of Birzeit Historic Centre, Birzeit, Palestine Umubano Primary School, Kigali, Rwanda Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre, Limpopo, South Africa Post-Tsunami Housing, Kirinda, Sri Lanka Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery, Khartoum, Sudan Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, Damascus, Syria Kantana Film and Animation Institute, Nakhon Prathom, Thailand The Met Tower, Bangkok, Thailand Thula Fort Restoration, Thula, Yemen Farrokh Derakhshani, the Director of the Award, remarked: "The Master Jury, which includes some of the most prominent architects of our time, made interesting choices this year. For example, they chose schools in Afghanistan and Syria, but they also chose a hospital in Sudan, a high rise in Bangkok and the reconstruction of a refugee camp in Lebanon. In many ways, the choices reflect a central preoccupation of the Award: the impact of buildings and public spaces on the quality of life. Now this seems fairly mainstream, but we must remember that the Aga Khan Award has been talking about 'human scale' and 'sustainability' since 1977". The Award's mandate is different from that of many other architecture prizes: it selects projects – from innovative mud and bamboo schools to state of the art "green" high-rises – which not only exhibit architectural excellence but also improve the overall quality of life. Since the Award was launched 36 years ago, over 100 projects have received the award and more than 7, 500 building projects have been documented. The shortlisted projects are now being technically reviewed by a select group of architects, urban planners and engineers. The reviews, which emphasise both the impact on the quality of life and architectural excellence, will be submitted in June to the Master Jury for closer evaluation. Five to six finalists will then be selected and announced at a ceremony to be held in Lisbon in September 2013. 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. write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Construction News :: home page |