The Aga Khan Award for Architecture: Living Heritage

For the final installment in the series Architecture in Dialogue, Dr.’s Azra Akšamija and Ulrike Al-Khamis will engage in a conversation of how the revitalization and re-imagination of cultural heritage can be used to improve quality of life. Living heritage is one of three dominant themes that emerged and which define the winners of the 2017-2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture Cycle. Using the Aga Khan Award for Architecture as a springboard, the panelists will share their own fields of study as example.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established by His Highness 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 recognizes 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.

For architecture to maintain its relevance in relation to today’s challenges, it is imperative that the profession repositions itself in relation to today’s human, societal and environmental challenges. This conversation will discuss how the revitalization of cultural heritage can be used to improve quality of life and act as a springboard for social development around the world.

Panelists:

Ulrike Al-Khamis, PhD
Director and CEO, Aga Khan Museum

Azra Akšamija, PhD
Associate Professor, MIT Architecture
Founder and Director, Future Heritage Lab at MIT
2013 Aga Khan Award for Architecture Winner

The Aga Khan Award: Architecture in Dialogue

Architecture in Dialogue is an exhibition highlighting the six winners and shortlisted works from the 2017-2019 cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The projects on display were selected from hundreds of entries and competed for prizes totaling $ 1 million. Now in its 14th cycle, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture is a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), a philanthropic organization that supports a wide range of activities aimed at the preservation and promotion of the material and spiritual heritage of Muslim societies. Established by His Highness the Aga Khan in 1977, the triennial Award is regarded as one of the most important honors in the field and granted to projects—from slum upgrading to high rise “green” buildings—that not only celebrate architectural excellence but also improve the overall quality of life of their surrounding communities.

View the virtual exhibition of Architecture in Dialogue.