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We bring you the details of the seven projects worldwide that were last Saturday declared winners of the ninth cycle of the world's largest architectural awards, which have a triennial prize fund of $500,000. The awards ceremony took place in India at the historic fort built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in Agra, better known for the world famous Taj MahalOn 27 November, at a ceremony in India at the historical Agra Fort, His Highness the Aga Khan announced the seven recipients of the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. 2004 marks the completion of the ninth cycle of the programme, which has a triennial prize fund of $ 500,000, which is divided equally among the winners and is the world?s largest architectural award.
During the current cycle of the Award, 378 projects were presented for consideration, and 23 were reviewed on site by outside experts. An independent Master Jury selected seven Award recipients that are notable for having attained the highest international standards of architectural excellence while reflecting the values of the primarily Muslim societies the projects are intended to serve.
The seven projects selected by the 2004 Award Master Jury are:
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt
-Primary School, Gando, Burkina Faso
- Sandbag Shelter Prototypes, various locations
- Restoration of Al-Abbas Mosque, Asnaf, Yemen
- Old City of Jerusalem Revitalisation Programme, Jerusalem
- B2 House, Ayvac?k, Turkey
- Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Two of the projects ? Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt and the Petronas Towers in Malaysia ? are the results of important international architectural competitions for high-profile landmark buildings. A third project ? the Sandbag Shelter Prototypes ? is an experiment in self-built housing that employs earth-filled sandbags stacked atop each other to form domed and vaulted spaces.
The provision of housing is an important aspect of the Old City of Jerusalem Revitalisation Programme that also includes components for the restoration of historic monuments and for the creation of public and community facilities, schools, and playgrounds.
The Primary School in Gando, Burkina Faso, goes far beyond its educational programme and exemplifies highest-calibre architectural design employing locally available materials and techniques, training, and community participation and empowerment.
B2 House, located in a small village on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, extends architectural design to a poetic level, establishing dialogue between nature and building, inside and outside, and public and private.
The Restoration of Al-Abbas Mosque in Yemen represents attainment of the highest standards of restoration and conservation while, at the same time, investigating the nature and contemporary importance of a sacred site.
The Jury identified four areas of social meaning to illustrate the winning projects: how the complexity of history and of historical memory can be expressed in architecture; how private initiatives are integrated into the emerging public sphere; how to express individuality within complex social settings and in the context of the plurality of Muslim traditions; and how power and authority in the global domains of technology, culture and economics might be addressed through architecture.
Throughout their two week-long meetings at the Award headquarters in Geneva, the Jury gave foremost importance to projects that raise the standards of excellence.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
THE BIBLIOTHECA Alexandrina is a revival of the legendary ancient library built in classical Greek times. The rebuilding of the library has returned Alexandria to its former status as a centre for learning and exchange and provided the city with a landmark building. The spirit of international co-operation in which the library was conceived, funded, designed and implemented has been maintained in its management to create an institution that is truly global in its outlook. At the same time, the building is technically outstanding.
Alexandria is Egypt?s main port, forming a large industrial and commercial centre and an important summer resort. In 1974, the University of Alexandria began a campaign for the rebuilding of the ancient library, choosing the current site, which is believed to be close to the original location. In 1988, Egypt?s President Mubarak took up the project at a national level and an international competition, organised by the Egyptian government in collaboration with the International Union of Architects, was won by the Norwegian company Sn