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H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, President of Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Member of the Steering Committee of the Aga Khan Award, has participated in the Master Jury for the 2020-2022 Cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in its 15th cycle. The meetings were convened and held on 7 & 8 February 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland, in the presence of His Highness Prince Hussain Aga Khan.

Commenting on this major meeting, H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa said that the Aga Khan Award contributes to introduce and present the amazing genuine characteristics of Islamic architecture to the whole world. It provides the people with a window into the artistic, intellectual, and scientific contributions of Muslim civilizations to world heritage. H.E added saying that the award aims to encourage, identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the fields of modern design, social housing, community development and improvement, restoration, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscape design and improvement of the environment. In addition, H.E pointed out that the presence of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Steering Committee of one of the most genuine and prestigious architecture awards in the world is a clear indication to the major achievements and symbolic greatest deeds carried out during the last decade, especially in sustainable development, enhancing the cultural tourism attractive infrastructure.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which is part of the Geneva-based Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which has a wide range of activities aimed at the preservation and promotion of the material and cultural heritage of Muslim societies, members of the Master Jury for the 2020-2022 Cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in its 15th cycle convened to select a shortlist from hundreds of nominated projects and award ceremony details to be held this year. Once the Master Jury selects a shortlist, the shortlisted projects are then subjected to rigorous on-site reviews by independent experts, most of them architects, conservation specialists, planners or structural engineers. The committee is made of nine members of the Master Jury for the fifteenth Award cycle, mostly architects representing main scientific disciplines related to architecture and share a solid basis knowledge about the Award specific character.

Established in 1977, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture is given every three years to projects that set new standards of excellence in architecture, planning practices, historic preservation and landscape architecture. The Award seeks projects that represent the broadest possible range of architectural interventions, with attention given to building schemes that use local resources and appropriate technology in innovative ways, and those that are likely to inspire similar efforts elsewhere. Projects can be anywhere in the world but must successfully address the needs and aspirations of societies in which Muslims have a significant presence. Over 9000 projects have been documented.

Ceremonies to announce the winning projects and mark the close of each triennial cycle are always held in settings selected for their architectural and cultural importance to the Muslim world. Previous venues for Award ceremonies encompass many of the most illustrious architectural achievements, including Shalimar Gardens in Lahore (1980), Topkapi Palace in Istanbul (1983), the Alhambra in Granada (1998), Emperor Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi (2004), the Musa Jalil Tatar Theatre and the Kazan Kremlin in the Russian Federation (2019). The Aga Khan Award for Architecture has a prize fund of US$ 1,000,000. The rigor of its nomination and selection process has made it, in the eyes of many observers, one of the world’s most important architectural prizes.