Aga Khan Award Winners 2025 Celebrate Architecture that Transforms Communities
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) 2025 has announced its winners, celebrating seven projects from around the world that use design to improve lives, protect heritage, and respond to climate change. These projects will share the $1 million prize, and the award ceremony will take place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 15, 2025.
This year’s winners show that architecture is not just about building structures. It is about creating hope, bringing people together, and making communities stronger. The Award highlights how design can support culture, sustainability, and resilience.
A Global Award with a Purpose
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is one of the most respected architectural prizes in the world. Since 1977, it has recognized projects that meet people’s real needs social, cultural, and environmental.
Over 16 award cycles, the AKAA has documented nearly 10,000 projects and honored 136 outstanding works. What makes it unique is its focus on how architecture can solve problems such as poverty, displacement, and urbanization.
As the Award’s Director, Farrokh Derakhshani, said: “Architecture can and must be a catalyst for hope, shaping not only the spaces we inhabit but also the futures we imagine.”
Bangladesh: Khudi Bari – Small Homes, Big Impact
In Bangladesh, rising floods and displacement threaten millions of people. To face this, Marina Tabassum Architects created Khudi Bari, a low-cost housing solution built from bamboo and steel.
These small, modular homes are easy to assemble and move, making them perfect for families who must relocate often because of natural disasters. The Jury praised the project for advancing bamboo as a sustainable building material and offering a model for other flood-prone areas.
Khudi Bari proves that simple materials and smart design can bring dignity and safety to communities at risk.
China: West Wusutu Village Community Centre – A Place for All
In Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, the West Wusutu Village Community Centre was designed by Grand Architecture Design Co., Ltd. Built from reclaimed bricks, this center is both ecofriendly and culturally inclusive.
The building serves as a space for local residents, artists, and visitors to gather. It addresses the needs of the multi-ethnic community, including Hui Muslims, by providing areas for cultural exchange and creativity.
The Jury highlighted how the project created an “inclusive communal microcosm” a place that brings people together while respecting diversity.
Egypt: Revitalisation of Historic Esna – Bringing a City Back to Life
The historic city of Esna in Egypt was once neglected, but now it is thriving again thanks to a project led by Takween Integrated Community Development.
The Revitalisation of Historic Esna includes restoring old buildings, improving public spaces, and creating new opportunities for tourism. It combines cultural preservation with modern urban strategies.
The Jury admired how the project gave Esna a “new metabolism” balancing heritage with today’s needs. By attracting visitors and creating jobs, Esna’s revival shows how architecture can drive both culture and the economy.
Iran: Majara Residence and Jahad Metro Plaza – Two Unique Projects
Iran has two winners this year, each showing a different side of architecture’s power.
The Majara Residence, by ZAV Architects, is located on Hormuz Island. It is a colorful tourist complex with domes inspired by the island’s ochre soils. The Jury called it a “vibrant archipelago” that builds an alternative tourism economy while respecting the island’s fragile landscape.
Meanwhile, Jahad Metro Plaza in Tehran is a renovated metro station turned into a lively public space. Designed by KA Architecture Studio, the plaza uses local handmade brick, connecting modern infrastructure with Iran’s rich architectural traditions.
Both projects prove that architecture in Iran can honor heritage while embracing new forms of design.
Pakistan: Vision Pakistan – Building Hope Through Education
In Islamabad, the project Vision Pakistan by DB Studios has transformed a building into a center for learning and empowerment. The facility houses a charity that offers vocational training for disadvantaged youth.
The building’s joyful facades are inspired by Pakistani and Arab craft. Inside, natural light and efficient design create inspiring spaces for students. The Jury praised it for being affordable, functional, and filled with hope.
This project shows how architecture can directly change lives by opening doors of opportunity for young people.
Palestine: Wonder Cabinet – Creativity and Identity
From Bethlehem comes the Wonder Cabinet, designed by AAU Anastas. This nonprofit space serves as a workshop, exhibition hall, and hub for artisans and designers.
Local builders and craftspeople played a central role in its construction, making it a true community effort. The Jury emphasized how the project expresses Palestinian identity through craft, innovation, and resilience.
The Wonder Cabinet is more than a building—it is a platform for culture, learning, and creativity.
More Than Awards: Inspiring the Future of Design
The Aga Khan Award does not stop at recognition. It also sparks global conversations about the role of architecture today. To accompany this year’s winners, a new book titled Optimism and Architecture will be published in September 2025. Edited by Lesley Lokko, it explores how architecture can balance tradition and innovation while shaping inclusive communities.
His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Chair of the Steering Committee, explained the Award’s mission: “Inspiring younger generations to build with environmental care, knowledge, and empathy is among the greatest aims of this Award.”
The Award hopes to encourage architects worldwide to design with sustainability, social responsibility, and human dignity at the forefront.
The Work of the Aga Khan Development Network
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is part of the larger Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). AKDN works in 30 countries and runs over 1,000 programs across sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, microfinance, cultural preservation, and urban planning.
With an annual budget of nearly $1 billion and 96,000 employees, AKDN’s mission is to improve quality of life for people of all backgrounds. Through the Award, it emphasizes architecture’s role in community building and cultural dialogue.
Architecture that Builds Futures
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2025 reminds the world that design is about more than aesthetics it is about people. This year’s winners show how buildings can create safety in times of crisis, bring communities together, revive historic cities, and celebrate cultural identity.
From bamboo shelters in Bangladesh to colorful domes in Iran, from revitalized Egyptian streets to creative Palestinian hubs, these projects demonstrate that architecture can inspire hope and resilience.
As the world gathers in Kyrgyzstan to celebrate, the Award sends a powerful message: architecture must respond to the challenges of today climate change, displacement, inequality while planting seeds for a better tomorrow.
