Kuala Lumpur will host the triennial 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, touted as the world's largest and most important architectural award with prizes totalling US$500,000, at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in the Petronas Twin Towers here on Sept 4.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismail Muslims, will announce this year's winners.
Farrokh Derakhshani, director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, told a briefing here today that the selection of this year's venue for the award presentation was a departure from the norm as it would be held in a modern building as opposed to heritage buildings in the past.
He said the organisers wanted to celebrate the urban culture and vibrancy of Kuala Lumpur and the Petronas Twin Towers , which had also won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the past.
The award was established by the Aga Khan in 1977 to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully addressed the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies.
It is also to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Islamic culture as expressed through architecture.
The award is organised on a three-year cycle and is governed by a steering committee chaired by the Aga Khan.
This year's award, which is the 10th in the series, covers the 2005-2007 period cycle and is for projects completed between Jan 1, 1994 and Dec 31, 2005.
Farrokh said Pos Malaysia would also issue a commemorative postage stamp on the award on Sept 5.
There will also be a seminar to discuss relevant issues and trends emerging from the master jury's deliberations and selection process at the KL Convention Centre on that day.
To date, master juries had selected 92 projects to receive the Aga Khan Award for Architecture out of 7,500 building projects nominated in the last 30 years.