Two projects from Bangladesh are among the 19 shortlisted for this year’s Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

The projects are – Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, Dhaka and Friendship Centre, Gaibandha.

In an announcement made yesterday, projects from 13 other countries, including China, Denmark, Qatar, were also shortlisted for the award, selected by the Master Jury from among 348 projects nominated for the 13th Award cycle.

The 19 projects, that will be compete for US $1 million in prize money, are now undergoing rigorous investigations by on-site reviewers – architects, conservation specialists or structural engineers – who visit and evaluate each project first-hand. Their reports are the basis for the Master Jury’s selection of the eventual winners.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s mandate is different from that of many other architecture prizes. It selects projects – from slum upgrading to high rise “green” buildings – that not only exhibit architectural excellence but also improve the overall quality of life. 

Bait Ur Rouf Mosque
Bait Ur Rouf Mosque - To solve the 13 degree angle created by the existing site with the Qibla axis, a cylendrical volume was inserted into the square envelope to facilitate the rotation of the prayer hall towards Qibla simultaneously formulating light courts on four sides - Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, Dhaka, Bangladesh. © AKTC / Sandro di Carlo Darsa
Friendship Centre
Friendship Centre - Luxury of light and shadows; economy and generosity of small spaces; joy of movement and discovery in the bare and the essential is what makes this gathering space a refuge for some of the poorest population - Friendship Centre, Gaibandha, Bangladesh. © AKTC / Eric Chenal