This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On September 13, 2019, the Aga Khan delivered a keynote address in Kazan, Russia, where he celebrated six unique projects that won the 14th cycle of the Aga Khan Architectural Award.
The projects, located in Senegal, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Russia, and Bahrain, were chosen for their innovative approaches to environmental conservation and problem-solving.
One of the winning projects, a building at Alioune Diop University in Senegal, was recognized for its ability to adapt to Africa's heat and sunlight, while an amphibious building in Bangladesh, the Arcadia Education Project, won for allowing a school to operate in a swamp in all seasons.
The Aga Khan emphasized the importance of architecture in promoting pluralism and intercultural dialogue, citing the example of Kazan and Bolgar, where churches and mosques have been built and preserved next to each other as symbols of intercultural dialogue.
“On my visits in Kazan, and in Bolgar, I have seen how committed people can honour the power both of cultural identity and cultural pluralism. It is striking to see how churches and mosques, for example, have been built and preserved right next to one another as powerful symbols of a profound intercultural dialogue,” he said.
The Aga Khan Architectural Awards has processed over 9,000 nominated projects in four decades, and this year's six winners will share $1 million, with half of the amount committed to strategic replication of the projects.
