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)