Aga Khan Bestows Architecture Awards in Dubai

摘要

Anyone who attended the symposium for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture last month couldn't miss the irony that it was held in Dubai. Amidst the forest of ungainly skyscrapers in that city's instant downtown (the elegant Burj Khalifa is an exception), architects, jury members, and guests discussed the prize's six winners-projects of striking modesty, from Beijing to Bangladesh. The 40-year-old award, given every three years, has always stood quietly apart from such venerable prizes as the Pritzker and the Praemium Imperiale- honoring projects, not a singular architect, and acknowledging clients as well as designers. As it has matured, the awards have astutely reflected emerging trends in architectural culture.