Aga Khan Award for Architecture shortlists 19 projects in 2025 cycle
- Last updated: June 14, 2025 | 09:46
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) has announced 19 shortlisted projects for its 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 shortlisted projects are: From Bangladesh, Khudi Bari, in various locations, by Marina Tabassum Architects. It is a replicable solution for displaced communities affected by climatic and geographic changes, which can be disassembled and reassembled.
From China, West Wusuti Village Community Centre, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, by Zhang Pengju. It provides social and cultural spaces for residents and artists, while addressing the religious needs of the local Hui Muslims. It is built from reclaimed bricks.
From Egypt, the Revitalisation of Historic Esna by Takween Integrated Community Development. It addresses cultural tourism challenges in Upper Egypt, transforming Esna from a neglected site centred on the Temple of Khnum, into a prospering historic city.
From Indonesia are three projects, including The Arc at Green School in Bali, by IBUKU/Elora Hardy. It is a new community wellness centre designed on the existing foundations of a former temporary gymnasium. The structure involves high-precision engineering and local craftsmanship; Islamic Centre Nurul Yaqin Mosque in Palu, Central Sulawesi, by Dave Orlando and Fandy Gunawan, erected on the site of a former mosque destroyed by a tsunami in 2018; and Microlibraries, in various cities, by SHAU/Daliana Suryawinata, Florian Heinzelmann, who initiated the project, offering quality public spaces in several Kampung and parks in Indonesia. Six have been built so far, and 100 are envisioned by 2045.
From Iran: Majara Complex and Community Redevelopment on Hormuz Island by ZAV Architects/Mohamadreza Ghodousi, famous for its colourful domes. It provides sustainable accommodation for people; and Jahad Metro Plaza in Tehran, by KA Architecture Studio, built to supersede the poor-quality existing structures, for pedestrians. From Israel, Khan Jaljulia Restoration, in Jaljulia, by Elias Khuri, an economical intervention, situated among the remains of a 14th-century Khan. It transforms the deserted historical site into a vibrant public space.
From Kenya is Campus Startup Lions in Turkana, by Kéré Architecture, an educational and entrepreneurial hub. Built with local volcanic stone, the design integrates rainwater harvesting, solar energy and tall ventilation towers reminiscent of surrounding termite mounds. From Morocco, the Revitilisation of Lalla Yeddouna Square in the medina of Fez, by Mossessian Architecture and Yassir Khalil Studio. It aims to reconnect to the riverfront and enhances pedestrian circulation in the area.
From Pakistan, Vision Pakistan in Islamabad, by DB Studios/Mohammad Saifullah Siddiqui, which accommodates a tailoring training centre operated by Vision Pakistan, a charity that aims to empower disadvantaged youths; and Denso Hall Rahguzar Project in Karachi, by Heritage Foundation of Pakistan/Yasmeen Lari, a heritage-led eco-urban enclave created by using low-carbon materials in response to the harsh climate of Karachi, which is prone to floods and heat waves. From Palestine comes the Wonder Cabinet in Bethlehem by AAU Anastas, a multi-purpose, non-profit exhibition and production space. The three-floor concrete building is becoming a key hub for craft, design, innovation and learning.
From Qatar is The Ned Hotel in Doha, by David Chipperfield Architects, where a Middle Eastern brutalist architecture once hosted the Ministry of Interior, before being adapted into a 90-room boutique hotel, contributing to architectural regeneration in the area. From Saudi Arabia hails the Shamalat Cultural Centre in Riyadh, by Syn Architects/Sara Alissa, Nojoud Alsudairi. It is a cultural space on the periphery of Diriyah, developed from an old mud house. From Senegal comes the Rehabilitation and Extension of Dakar Railway Station in Dakar, by Ga2D, to accommodate the passengers of a new express railway line. The site gives back the forecourt to pedestrian travellers.
From Türkiye is the 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. The United Arab Emirates has the Morocco Pavilion Expo Dubai 2020 by Oualalou + Choi. It was 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 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, USA; 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, USA; David Basulto, Founder & Editor, ArchDaily, Santiago, Chile & Berlin, Germany; Yvonne Farrell, Visiting Professor, Academy of Architecture, Mendrisio, Switzerland and Founder and Partner, Grafton Architects, Dublin, Ireland; Kabage Karanja, Co-founder, Cave_bureau, Nairobi, Kenya and Assistant Professor of Architectural Design, Yale University, New York, USA; 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 and Co-founding Director, WOHA, Singapore.