The nine winning projects, announced on Tuesday, will share the US$500,000 (euro385,000) award _ the world's biggest prize for architectural excellence _ given once every three years by the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of agencies that seek to improve living conditions in poor countries.
The network is headed by Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, a community of 15 million people living in 25 countries.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the awards at a ceremony in the Dewan Philharmonic Hall of the Petronas Twin Towers, which won the award in 2004.
Farrokh Derakhshani, the director of the awards, said the jury looks beyond visual appeal.
The award, established in 1977, recognizes architectural excellence in places where Muslims live. It covers the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community improvement, historical preservation, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscape design and improvement of environment.
''You are not looking at a good nice facade, but (at) how do you go beyond it,'' Derakhshani said.
''It is the timing, the contemporary needs. We are trying to address the issues of the day: environment, collaboration, education, use of most modern technology.''
The projects that won the latest award are:
- The Samir Kassir Square in Beirut, named for a Lebanese journalist who was slain there, is a serene public space surrounded by hectic urban development and rebuilding. The award will go to architect Vladimir Djurovic, who ``created a space of reflection with two trees and a pool and made the square a focal point for the people of the city,'' said Derakhshani.
- The rehabilitation of the city of Shibam in Yemen. A centuries-old city of mud houses six to seven stories high. The city began degrading from water when plumbing was brought in. A five-year collaborative effort between a German agency and the Yemeni government helped preserve the city.
- The University of Technology Petronas in Malaysia, known for its high-tech architecture.
- The renovation of the walled city of Nicosia, Cyprus, a collaborative effort between the divided Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. The project reversed the city's physical and economic decline.
- The Central Market in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. The architects introduced simple improvements to create an important space for civic exchange and trade.
- Restoration of the Amiriya Complex in Yemen, which protected a cultural heritage.
- The 28-story Moulmein Rise Residential Tower in Singapore, which uses innovative techniques for tropical design in high-rise living. It incorporates the traditional monsoon window, a horizontal opening that lets in breezes but not rain.
- The Royal Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a contemporary structure that merges with its local environment.
- A school in Rudrapur, Bangladesh. Using local material, this simple structure was hand-built in four months by the local community and volunteer architects from Germany and Austria.
The award jury was presented with 343 projects, of which 27 were shortlisted after onsite review by international experts. The number of winners varies in every award cycle. The projects need not be new.
