Aga Khan Award a critique on architecture and society
Aga Khan Award a critique on architecture and society
JAKARTA (JP): The 1995 presentation of the Aga Khan Award for
Architecture in Surakarta, Central Java, happened a week ago, but
the echo of its significance in the world of architecture, in
particular Moslem architecture, remains.
The award, the world's largest architecture prize of
US$500,000, has put under the spotlight works that otherwise
would probably have been left unnoticed.
The Master Jury for the award met three times, in October last
year and in January and June this year, to review 442 projects,
22 of which were reviewed in situ by technical reviewers.
The jury's deliberation led to a consensus that "we should
bring a more critical dimension to the message of the award. We
became convinced that the award, having well established its
pluralistic message, must move to a sharper critique of the
architectural and social problems confronting the Moslem world".
The jury selected 12 projects grouped under three themes:
projects that address a critical social discourse; projects that
address a critical architectural/urbanistic discourse and
projects that introduce innovative concepts worthy of attention.
The emphasis on the word "critical" is intentional. The award
is uniquely placed to engender a critical discourse on
architecture and society, more so now than before.
"Today, the virtues of pluralism are overshadowed by
intolerance, and ideological pressures restrict the space of
freedom so necessary for critical discourse," the jury explained
in a statement.
Given the above considerations, the 12 winners strongly
reflect the award's new emphasis.
"It is our belief these projects illustrate an important
message for the Moslem societies of today," according to the
jury.
The Conservation of Old Sana'a in Sana'a, Yemen, for example,
is hailed for "having successfully incorporated the efforts of
the public and private sectors, local and foreign bodies,
individuals and groups to converse and protect one of the jewels
of the Moslem architectural and urban heritage."
The jury praised the Aranya Community Housing project in
Indore, India as "having brought the highest skills of the
designer to bear on a site and services scheme that sensitively
promotes participation and incremental development from a tool
kit of design elements and, more importantly, promotes social
cohesion and cooperation across sectarian and religious groups
through shared neighborhood facilities and public spaces."
The Great Mosque of Riyadh and Redevelopment of the Old City
Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, won the award for having
sensitively recreated an urbanistic and architectural language
that reinterprets local traditions in contemporary technology and
materials to meet the contemporary needs of the urban core in a
most effective manner.
Malaysia was cited for its Menara Mesiniaga building in Kuala
Lumpur for "having boldly designed a meaningful tall building in
a tropical climate".
The Menara Mesiniaga building is the headquarters of IBM in
Subang Jaya near Kuala Lumpur. The building is a result of the
architect's decade-long research into bioclimatic principles for
the design of tall buildings in tropical climates. It features
strong spatial organization with a specific hierarchy. The
building has a tripartite structure that consists of a raised
"green" base, a spiraling body with horizontal, terraced garden
balconies and external louvers that shade the offices, and an
uppermost floor that houses recreational facilities which include
a swimming pool, and a sunroof.
Another winner, the Reforestation Program of the Middle East
Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, was recognized for "having
the vision to bring wilderness to the city, the boldness to think
in terms of tens of millions of trees, the determination to
pursue that vision for decades, and the sensitivity to re-
establish the diversity of the flora and fauna of the reforested
park land. This project challenges us to think of the links
between urbanization and nature on a different scale."
It is obvious from the citations that the award has drawn a
clear line in Moslem architecture: One that is sensitive towards
people and nature but bold and courageous enough to take up the
challenges to nurture sensitivity. (lem)