Shaikha Mai attends Aga Khan Award for Architecture Steering Committee meetings

Geneva, Feb. 10 (BNA): Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) President Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa has participated in the meetings of the Steering Committee of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for its 2020-2022 cycle. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is governed by a Steering Committee chaired by the Aga Khan and comprising Shaikha Mai and eight other members. "The Aga Khan Award contributes to introducing the world to the architectural heritage that today forms part of the features of the civilizational output of Islamic societies," Shaikha Mai said. "The award in its current cycle has received many distinguished architectural projects that reflect the beauty and heritage of Islamic architecture and its ability to keep pace with the modern global architectural movement." Representing Bahrain in one of the most prestigious architectural awards in the world confirms the achievements that the Kingdom has been able to achieve during the last decade, especially in the sustainable development and strengthening of the infrastructure that attracts cultural tourism, she added. The Master Jury, tasked with independently selecting the recipients of the $ 1 million award, convened to select a shortlist from hundreds of nominated projects. The shortlisted projects will be subjected to rigorous on-site reviews by independent experts, most of them architects, conservation specialists, planners or structural engineers. The nine-member jury will meet for a second time in summer to examine the on-site reviews and select the final recipients of the award. The selection process of the jury will emphasize architecture "that not only provides for people’s physical, social and economic needs, but that also stimulates and responds to their cultural aspirations." They will give particular attention to building schemes that use local resources and appropriate technology in innovative ways and to projects likely to inspire similar efforts elsewhere. Established in 1977, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture identifies and encourages building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence. The award plays an important role in influencing global architectural discourse and promoting innovative solutions to problems faced by many societies. According to the award website, at the time of its inception, architectural discourse reflected Western preoccupations. There was a vacuum of knowledge of the architecture of Muslim civilizations. The award championed many of the concerns that are now common today: sustainability, human scale, climate adaptation, quality of life. To address these issues, the award is given every three years to projects that set new standards of excellence in architecture, planning practices, historic preservation and landscape architecture. It recognizes 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. Award ceremonies were hosted in Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan (1980), Topkapı Palace in Istanbul (1983), El Badi Palace in Marrakesh (1986), Citadel of Salah Ed-Din in Cairo (1989), Registan Square in Samarkand (1992), Kraton Surakarta in Surakarta (1995), Alhambra in Granada (1998), Citadel of Aleppo (2001), Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi (2004), and Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur (2007). They were also held in the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha (2010), Lisbon (2013), Abu Dhabi (2016), and Kazan (2019). Bahrain Pearling Trail, Bahrain's second World Heritage Site after the Bahrain Fort, was among the winners in 2019.