Geneva, Switzerland, 5 June 2025 – The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) today announced 19 shortlisted projects for the 2025 Award cycle. The projects will compete for a share of the $1 million prize, one of the largest in architecture.

The 19 shortlisted projects were selected by an independent Master Jury from a pool of 369 projects nominated for the 16th Award Cycle (2023-2025).

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established by His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV in 1977 to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence. Since it was launched 48 years ago, 128 projects have received the award and nearly 10,000 building projects have been documented. The AKAA’s selection process emphasises architecture that not only provides for people’s physical, social and economic needs, but that also stimulates and responds to their cultural aspirations.

Bangladesh

• Khudi Bari, in various locations, by Marina Tabassum Architects, is a replicable solution for displaced communities affected by climatic and geographic changes, which can be easily disassembled and reassembled to adapt to the users' circumstances.

China

• West Wusutu Village Community Centre, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, by Zhang Pengju, provides social and cultural spaces for residents and artists, while addressing the religious needs of the local Hui Muslims. Built from reclaimed bricks, it comprises indoor and outdoor multifunctional spaces that foster community cohesion.

Egypt

• Revitalisation of Historic Esna, by Takween Integrated Community Development, addresses cultural tourism challenges in Upper Egypt through physical interventions, socioeconomic initiatives and innovative urban strategies, transforming Esna from a neglected site centred on the Temple of Khnum into a prospering historic city.

Indonesia

• The Arc at Green School, in Bali, by IBUKU / Elora Hardy, is the product of 15 years of bamboo experimentation at the Green School Bali. The Arc is a new community wellness centre designed on the existing foundations of a former temporary gymnasium. The structure bridges high-precision engineering and local craftsmanship.

• Islamic Centre Nurul Yaqin Mosque, in Palu, Central Sulawesi, by Dave Orlando and Fandy Gunawan, is erected on the site of a former mosque destroyed by a tsunami in 2018. The new Islamic Centre serves as a space for gathering and worship. Open to the landscape, it is surrounded by a shallow reflective pool which can be drained to accommodate more people.

• Microlibraries, in various cities, by SHAU / Daliana Suryawinata, Florian Heinzelmann who initiated the project, engage with stakeholders at every level to offer quality public spaces in several Kampung and parks in Indonesia. Six have been built so far, and 100 are envisioned by 2045.

Iran

• Majara Complex and Community Redevelopment, on Hormuz Island by ZAV Architects / Mohamadreza Ghodousi, is famous for its colourful domes which provide sustainable accommodations for tourists who visit the unique landscape of Hormuz. Built by upskilled local workers, it also offers new facilities for the islanders who come there to socialise, pray, or use the library.

• Jahad Metro Plaza, in Tehran, by KA Architecture Studio, is built to supersede the poor-quality existing structures. It transformed the site into an appreciated landmark designed for pedestrians. Clad in local handmade brick, the arched vaults vary in height to allow light and air into the space they shelter.

Israel

• Khan Jaljulia Restoration, in Jaljulia, by Elias Khuri, is an economical intervention, situated among the remains of a 14th-century Khan. It reconnects the people to their cultural heritage by transforming the deserted historical site into a vibrant public space for communal activities.

Kenya

• Campus Startup Lions, in Turkana, by Kéré Architecture is an educational and entrepreneurial hub which provides a space for technology-driven education, business incubation and community engagement. Built with local volcanic stone, the design integrates rainwater harvesting, solar energy and tall ventilation towers reminiscent of surrounding termite mounds.

Morocco

• Revitalisation of Lalla Yeddouna Square, in the medina of Fez, by Mossessian Architecture and Yassir Khalil Studio, aims to reconnect to the riverfront and enhances pedestrian circulation in the area. Existing structures were preserved and new spaces designed for the benefit of local residents, artisans and visitors from around the world.

Pakistan

• Vision Pakistan, in Islamabad, by DB Studios / Mohammad Saifullah Siddiqui, accommodates a tailoring training centre operated by Vision Pakistan, a charity that aims to empower disadvantaged youths. Located in a dense area, this multistorey facility echoes the city's architecture from the 1960s while boasting flamboyant jaalis inspired by Pakistani and Arab crafts.

• Denso Hall Rahguzar Project, in Karachi, by Heritage Foundation of Pakistan / Yasmeen Lari, a heritage-led eco-urban enclave, was created by using low-carbon materials, in response to the harsh climate of Karachi, prone to floods and heatwaves. The handcrafted terracotta cobbles absorb rainwater and irrigate the newly planted "forests", which in turn cool and clean the air.

Palestine

• Wonder Cabinet, in Bethlehem, by AAU Anastas, is a multi-purpose, non-profit exhibition and production space in Bethlehem, founded by the architects. Built with the input of local artisans and contractors, the three-floor concrete building is becoming a key hub for craft, design, innovation and learning.

Qatar

• The Ned Hotel, in Doha, by David Chipperfield Architects, where a Middle Eastern brutalist architecture once hosted the Ministry of Interior, before being carefully adapted into a 90-room boutique hotel, therefore contributing to architectural regeneration in the area.

Saudi Arabia

• Shamalat Cultural Centre, in Riyadh, by Syn Architects / Sara Alissa, Nojoud Alsudairi, is a cultural space on the periphery of Diriyah, developed from an old mud house transformed by artist Maha Malluh. Juxtaposing old and new, the centre offers a sensitive perspective on heritage conservation in the region, aiming to integrate historic spaces into everyday life.

Senegal

• Rehabilitation and Extension of Dakar Railway Station, in Dakar, by Ga2D, to accommodate the passengers of a new express railway line, creates a deliberate contrast between the old and new structures. Vehicular circulation was relegated to the back of the site, giving back the forecourt to pedestrian travellers.

Türkiye

• Rami Library, by Han Tümertekin Design & Consultancy, the largest library in Istanbul. It took up quarters in the former Rami Barracks, a large single-storey structure with high volumes, built in the 18th century. A minimal intervention approach was chosen to preserve the original spatial qualities of the structure while accommodating new library functions.

United Arab Emirates

• Morocco Pavilion Expo Dubai 2020, by Oualalou + Choi, has been designed to outlive the Expo 2020 and to be converted into a cultural facility. The pavilion pioneers the advancement of large-scale rammed earth construction methods. It obtained the gold LEED certification for its use of passive cooling strategies which keep mechanical air-conditioning to a bare minimum.

The shortlisted projects have undergone rigorous reviews, at the site of each project, by independent experts, including architects, conservation specialists, planners and structural engineers. The Master Jury meets again this summer to examine the on-site reviews and determine the final recipients of the Award.

The nine members of the independent Master Jury who selected the 19 shortlisted projects are: Azra Akšamija, Director, Art, Culture and Technology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, United States of America; Noura Al Sayeh-Holtrop, Advisor for Heritage Projects, Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Manama, Bahrain; Lucia Allais, Director, Buell Center, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, New York, United States of America; David Basulto, Founder & Editor, ArchDaily, Santiago, Chile & Berlin, Germany; Yvonne Farrell, Visiting Professor, Academy of Architecture, Mendrisio, Switzerland; Founder and Partner, Grafton Architects, Dublin, Ireland; Kabage Karanja, Co-founder, Cave_bureau, Nairobi, Kenya; Assistant Professor of Architectural Design, Yale University, New York, United States of America; Yacouba Konaté, Professor of Philosophy, University Félix Houphouët Boigny of Abidjan-Cocody, Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Hassan Radoine, Director General, Citinnov SA for Integrated Territorial Planning and Smart Cities, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat, Morocco; and Mun Summ Wong, Professor-in-Practice, Department of Architecture, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore; Co-founding Director, WOHA, Singapore. For more information, please see the biographies of the Master Jury.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is governed by a Steering Committee chaired by His Highness the Aga Khan. The other members of the Steering Committee are Meisa Batayneh, Principal Architect, Founder, maisam architects and engineers, Amman, Jordan; Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Professor of Philosophy and Francophone Studies, Columbia University, New York, United States of America; Lesley Lokko, Founder & Director, African Futures Institute, Accra, Ghana; Gülru Necipoğlu, Director and Professor, Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States of America; Hashim Sarkis, Founder & Principal, Hashim Sarkis Studios (HSS); Dean, School of Architecture and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States of America; and Sarah M. Whiting, Partner, WW Architecture; Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States of America. Farrokh Derakhshani is the Director of the Award. For more information, please see the biographies of the Steering Committee.

For more information, please contact:

Nadia Siméon, Deputy Director, Aga Khan Award for Architecture

akaa@akdn.org

Notes

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture 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.

Particular attention is given to building schemes that use local resources and appropriate technology in innovative ways and to projects likely to inspire similar efforts elsewhere. It should be noted that the Award not only rewards architects, but also identifies municipalities, builders, clients, master artisans and engineers who have played important roles in the project.

To be eligible for consideration in the 2025 Award cycle, projects had to be completed between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2023 and should have been in use for at least one year. Projects commissioned by His Highness the Aga Khan or any of the institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) are ineligible for the Award.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is part of AKDN. Founded by His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV and chaired by His Highness the Aga Khan (Prince Rahim Aga Khan V), AKDN works in 30 countries to improve the quality of life and to create opportunity for people of all faiths and origins. Its agencies operate over 1,000 programmes and institutions – some more than a century old. The Network’s approach to development spans a range of cultural, social, economic and environmental endeavours. The mandates of its agencies include education and health, agriculture and food security, microfinance, human habitat, crisis response and disaster reduction, protection of the environment, art, music, architecture, urban planning and conservation, and cultural heritage and preservation. AKDN employs approximately 96,000 people, most of whom are based in developing countries. Its annual expenditures for non-profit development activities are around $1 billion.