2010 aga kahn award for architecture announced

‘ipekyol textile factory’ by emre arolat architects in edirne, turkey image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © cemal emden

a textile factory in turkey, a school built as a bridge in a small chinese village and a museum dedicated to islamic archaeology in spain are all winning entries of this year’s aga khan award for architecture. other prize-winning designs go to a development project of a saudi arabian wetland reserve and a revitalization initiative in tunisia, north africa. now in it’s tenth edition, the aga khan awards are given to architectural projects that address and explore the needs of islamic societies with a precise focus on the effects of the built environment on its inhabitants. one of the largest architecture prizes given out every three years, the five winners were chosen by a jury which included french architect jean nouvel and renowned sculptor anish kapoor.

northwest facade image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © cemal emden

on the ‘ipekyol factory’ by emre arolat architects : the custom-designed facility for a manufacturer of high-quality textiles represents a successful collaboration between a client and an architect in developing a spatial strategy that integrates production goals with the well-being of employees. the design focuses on a single u-shaped volume that makes full use of the site as well as the use of local materials, reduced energy use, and enhanced thermal performance. a single, large structure which houses administration and production spaces are integrated under one roof, breaking down hierarchies between front- and backof-house functions. the u-shape form follows the production line from inception to packaging and dispatch of the garments. an abundant amount of natural light is provided through the glazed southern facade, five internal courtyards, as well as gardens and lightwells.

(left) inner gallery (right) interior ramp, facing the northwest facade images courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © cemal emden

production hall image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © cemal emden

cafeteria image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © cemal emden

site plan courtesy EAA architects

‘bridge school’ by li xiaodong in xiashi, fujian province, china south view of the entrance image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © li xiaodong

about ‘bridge school’ by li xiaodong: the school bridges two parts of a small village in xiashia, china, that lie on either sides of a small creek. created by two steel trusses that span the body of water, the spanning space in between houses the functions of the school. suspended below the structure and running along its length is a pedestrian bridge for the people of the village to use. a small but modern addition to a once declining village, the project has become a central meeting point for the people, literally bringing together the two ends of the community. developed with the school principal and the head of the village to answer to community needs, other facilities were integrated into the design which includes a public library and a stage that can be opened up for performances on the northern end.

corridor looking outside image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © li xiaodong

hanging bridge across the river image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © li xiaodong interior of classroom image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © li xiaodong

site plan drawing courtesy li xiaodong

‘madinat al zahra museum’ by sobejano architects, fuensanta nieto & enrique sobejano in cordoba, spain view of mashrabiyya-type openings and reflecting pool image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © melissa walsh, maximilian jocobson-gonzalez

about ‘madinat al-zahra museum’ by sobejano architects, fuensanta nieto & enrique sobejano: the tenth-century palace city of madinat al-zahra is widely considered to be one of the most significant early islamic archaeological sites in the world, and the most extensive in western europe. the museum was conceived as a place to interpret the site and display the artefacts, as well as to serve as a training and research center plus headquarters of the archaeological team. the design aims to blend the museum seamlessly into the site and the surrounding farmland with a series of rectangles composed of walls, patios and landscaping. visitors are guided through a sequence of covered spaces and voids, with many of the layouts and plants drawn from excavated buildings and archaeological sites.

landscape around the museum image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © melissa walsh, maximilian jocobson-gonzalez

view of main patio from the lobby image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © melissa walsh, maximilian jocobson-gonzalez

archeaological site of madinat al-zahra image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © melissa walsh, maximilian jocobson-gonzalez

site plan image courtesy EAA architects

‘wadi hanifa wetlands’ by moriyama & teshima planners limited / buro happold in riyadh, saudi arabia the project is already successful in providing water treatment while creating a one-of-a-kind natural facility and open-space public attraction images courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © arriyadh development authority

about ‘wadi hanifa wetlands’ by moriyama & teshima planners limited / buro happold: located in the middle of the najd plateau of the kindom of saudi arabia, the wadi hanifa is the longest and most important valley near riyadh, a natural water drainage course for an area of over 4,000 km2. until recently, many segments of the valley had been exploited in an aggressive and enviornmentally destructive manner. in an effort to refress the balance between the resources of the wadi and the people living around it the arriyadh development authority has implemented a comprehensive development strategy that aims to restore and develop wadi hanifa as an environmntal, recreational and tourism resource. project works so far have included the introduction of landscaping, conservation of the natural environment, development of regreational areas, enhancemen tof agricultural land in the valley, and the creation of an envionmentally sensitive wastewater treatment facility.

re-establishing the natural landscape in the desert tablelands and rangelands of the desert catchment area above the wadi bed, including construction of check dams. images courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © arriyadh development authority

the parks are designed in a way that provies family compartments, in the form of semienclosed areas, that each family can use for the day, without being disturbed by neighboring families images courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © arriyadh development authority

‘revitalisation of the recent heritage of tunis’ by association de sauvegarde de la medina de tunis in tunisia, north africa image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © salah jabeur

about ‘revitalisation of the recent heritage of tunis’ by association de sauvegarde de la medina de tunis: recognizing the important architectural exchange between the southern and northern mediterranean during the nineteenth and early twentieth century in northern africa, the urban revitalization plan aims to restructre public spaces of tunis and make them largely pedestrian. so far, the project has listed and restored key monuments, such as the theatre municipal de tunis, marche central, ancien tribunal administratif and cinema palace. devised and organized by the association de sauvegarde de la medina de tunis, the plan will continue to undertake preservations projects in the heritage.

(left) interior view of the central building after restoration (right) central wooden covered market after restoration images courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © salah jabeur

central wooden covered market before restoration image courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © association de sauvegarde de la medina de tunis

3D model of the central marketimage courtesy aga khan award for architecture / © association de sauvegarde de la medina de tunis