- Title: African architecture featured in prestigious award.
- Date: 24th November 2016
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ON BOATS IN MAKOKO VARIOUS OF THE MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL IN LAGOS VARIOUS OF STUDENTS IN CLASS STUDENT TAKING DOWN NOTES VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF SCHOOL DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIAN ARCHITECT, KUNLE ADEYEM, SAYING: "This settlement was already in a way dealing with these issues although through very poor conditions. But they were already adapting to these issues that I feel are some of the most important challenges of our time." SINTHIAN, SENEGAL (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THREAD: ARTIST RESIDENCY AND CULTURAL CENTRE DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN AND OTHER GUESTS LISTENING TO DISCUSSION VARIOUS OF PANELLISTS AT THE AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE EVENT ARCHITECT AND MASTER JUROR, AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE, LESLEY LOKKO (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARCHITECT AND MASTER JUROR, AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE, LESLEY LOKKO, SAYING: "This is a world that is equal to all other worlds. It is not a world that exists somewhere else in a more deprived state. This is absolutely cutting edge. It is as modern as anywhere else and it has a kind of intellectual and cultural prominence which I think gives a lot of confidence to people who are always seen as somehow outside the loop." CASABLANCA, MOROCCO (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE NEW RAILWAY STATION PEOPLE GETTING OFF TRAIN EXTERIOR OF RAILWAY STATION PILLARS HOLDING STATION ROOF VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS USING ESCALATORS DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SENEGALESE ARCHITECT, MAMADOU JEAN-CHARLES TALL, LOOKING AT POSTER OF THE CASA-PORT STATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARCHITECT, MAMADOU JEAN-CHARLES TALL, SAYING: Those architects studied in Morocco all of them and there was a little bit of influence of European architecture, much more in the Casa Port because it's a very technical project, a railway station. And they were partnering with a French team so you see the influence there. The project in Guelmim was very different because they started from the architecture that is rooted in the Amazigh culture." GUELMIM, MOROCCO (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GUELMIM SCHOOL BUILDINGS STUDENTS IN CLASS SCHOOL BUILDING STRUCTURES DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARCHITECT AND MEMBER OF AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE STEERING COMMITTEE, DAVID ADJAYE LISTENING TO DISCUSSION 22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARCHITECT AND MEMBER OF AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE STEERING COMMITTEE, DAVID ADJAYE, SAYING: "There is always an enquiry because the Muslim communities on the continent are diverse from north, south, east and west from South Africa to the north, you'll find Muslim communities. So I think that the award is then, by that very remit, very interested in what is happening in those communities, to see what architecture is being produced to really talk about not just those communities but also the rest of the communities that are affected around them." 23. VARIOUS OF MASTER JURY ON STAGE
- Embargoed: 9th December 2016 13:43
- Keywords: Architectural award Africa Buildings Sturctures Architects Culture Heritage
- Location: LAGOS, NIGERIA/ DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES/ SINTHIAN, SENEGAL/ GUELMIM AND CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
- City: LAGOS, NIGERIA/ DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES/ SINTHIAN, SENEGAL/ GUELMIM AND CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00159SZLNB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Every three years, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture celebrates exceptional building structures that impact the lives of people across world.
This year the Makoko floating school in Lagos, Nigeria made it to the top 19 selected works out of 348 that were originally nominated.
With over 80,000 residents in Makoko, a stilt settlement south of Lagos, the floating school built out of recycled plastic, wood and bamboo, was made to hold about 100 students.
The prototype structure by Nigerian architect, Kunle Adeyem was meant to generate an alternative building system providing space for education and cultural programmes which can be a challenge for people living on water.
Unfortunately the structure is said to have collapsed in June after heavy rain pounded the city.
"This settlement was already in a way dealing with these issues although through very poor conditions. But they were already adapting to these issues that I feel are some of the most important challenges of our time," said Adeyem.
Four out of the 19 projects featured were from Africa, boasting design skills that marry both modern and cultural influences.
Thread: Artist Residency and Cultural Centre in Senegal provides residency and studio space for artists in Sinthian, a rural part of the country.
It's traditional pitched roof harvests rain water used for agricultural projects during an eight-month dry season.
Winners were selected by a master jury made up of leading architects and professionals from parts of the world.
Leslie Lokko, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Johannesburg, was among the panel of judges.
She said African architectural space offers a rich resource of dynamism and creative works that often go unnoticed.
"This is a world that is equal to all other worlds. It is not a world that exists somewhere else in a more deprived state. This is absolutely cutting edge. It is as modern as anywhere else and it has a kind of intellectual and cultural prominence which I think gives a lot of confidence to people who are always seen as somehow outside the loop," said Lokko.
The Casa-Port, a new railway station built in Casablanca; a major transport hub in Morocco, was also a contender.
The station creates a canopy that shares space, geometry, light supported by columns that bring out a modern station hall in the city.
Jean-Charles Tall a Senegalese architect who has been keenly following the awards over the years took a keen interest in projects from Morocco.
"Those architects studied in Morocco all of them and there was a little bit of influence of European architecture, much more in the Casa Port because it's a very technical project, a railway station. And they were partnering with a French team so you see the influence there. The project in Guelmim was very different because they started from the architecture that is rooted in the Amazigh culture," he said.
Guelmin School of technology in Guelmin, a remote part of Morocco was also shortlisted. It is an education complex based on classic Berber designs associated with the community living in northern Africa.
The structure displays contemporary structures linked to courtyards by sheltered walkways.
However, none of the African projects made it to the 6 winning structures list this year.
The award was started in 1977 by his highness the Aga Khan to encourage building concepts that address needs and aspirations of communities, in which Muslims have a significant presence.
David Adjaye, a Ghanaian architect was a member of the award's 2016 steering committee.
"There is always an enquiry because the Muslim communities on the continent are diverse from north, south, east and west from South Africa to the north, you'll find Muslim communities. So I think that the award is then, by that very remit, very interested in what is happening in those communities, to see what architecture is being produced to really talk about not just those communities but also the rest of the communities that are affected around them," he said.
The award is part of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture which seeks to preserve and promote cultural heritage, arts and architecture as part of development around the world. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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