DOHA: Dohaland will host a seminar titled 'The Aga Khan Award for Architecture: Voices from Doha', and an exhibition of the projects shortlisted for the 2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture which was held in Doha last November.
The seminar will be delivered by the Dohaland Chairs in Architecture at Qatar University (QU) and will be held at the Knowledge Enrichment Centre on Wednesday from 5.30pm to 9pm, while the exhibition will run from Wednesday to January 18.
The seminar and exhibition which form part of the Dohaland Chairs lecture series are both open to the public.
The exhibition will include 22 panels of contemporary architectural and urban interventions, with all 19 short-listed projects by the Award's Master Jury on display, highlighting the plurality and diversity of current contributions to architecture and urbanism in the developing world. The seminar will include five lecture presentations and discussions representing voices from Doha on the Award, its achievements, contributions to the discourse on architecture and urbanism, and the potential of projects within Qatar to receive future awards.
"The Dohaland Chairs lecture series forms a platform for an open dialogue on current and future architectural activities in Qatar and the region. It forms an important part of Dohaland's knowledge-sharing objectives. We are delighted by the participation of esteemed professors from Qatar University and experts in the region" said John Rose, Director of Development, Dohaland.
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established in 1977 to recognize examples of architectural excellence that encompass contemporary design, social housing, community improvement and development, restoration, re-use, and area conservation, as well as landscaping and environmental issues. Through its efforts, the Award seeks to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of societies in which Muslims have a significant presence.
Professors Ashraf M Salama and Tim Makower, Dohaland co-Chairs in Architecture at QU, will be presenting during the seminar. Professor Salama will provide an overview of the three decades of the Award's contribution to the contexts in which Muslim communities have substantial presence. The lecture will discuss the evolution of the award, the review process, and the enlightening intellectual discourse that the Award has generated over the past 30 years.
Professor Tim Makower will present reflections on the values of the Award in light of the current master plan of Musheireb project and the language of architecture it involves.
QU Associate Professor of Architecture Dr Yasser Mahgoub's presentation will shed light on nature of the review process, reviewers' responsibilities, project study, on-site review, report writing, and presentation of the assessment study to the master jury committee.
Souk Waqif will be an integral subject for discussions within the seminar as one of the important short-listed projects for 2010 Award's Cycle. Mohamed Ali Abdullah, project manager of the rehabilitation and conservation project of Souk Waqif, will address the evolution of urbanity in the center of Doha since the middle of the 18th century, the topography of the land and its impact in shaping clusters of houses and the roads and the process of restoration and reconstruction of historical buildings in Souk Waqif. QU Assistant Professor of Architecture Dr Djamel Boussaa's presentation will discuss ways in which this heritage landmark can be sustained and conserved, despite the vulnerability and threats of the immediate context, high-rise development, construction sites, mass tourism, and traffic congestions.
© The Peninsula 2011
