Winners of Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2025 revealed

Projects by architects including Marina Tabassum and ZAV Architects in locations such as Palestine, Bangladesh and Iran are among the winners of the 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

A total of seven winners were chosen from the shortlist of projects by 19 studios, which was revealed in June.

This year's winners are located in countries from China to Egypt, with the studios set to share the $1 million (£739,000) award.

Khuda Bari by Marina Tabassum — Marina Tabassum's Khudi Bari buildings were one of the winners

Bangladeshi architect Tabassum won one of the prizes for her Khudi Bari buildings, which have been constructed in various locations.

The lightweight, transportable buildings are made from bamboo and steel, and designed by Tabassum as a response to the mass displacement of people living in Bangladesh due to flooding.

"The Khudi Bari project is profoundly optimistic, as it reframes the role that architecture can and should play in times of difficult global realities," the Aga Khan Award jury said.

Chinese community centre — A community centre built from reclaimed bricks wowed the jury

Another winner is the West Wusutu Village Community Centre, built from reclaimed bricks in Hohhot, China, by Inner Mongolian Grand Architecture Design. The project aims to address the cultural needs of its local multi-ethnic community in Inner Mongolia's capital.

"The dynamics of this project significantly enhance social interaction, cultural experience, and environmental resilience," the jury stated.

Revitalisation project in Egypt — Takween Integrated Community Development designed the Revitalisation of Historic Esna

The Revitalisation of Historic Esna by Takween Integrated Community Development in Esna, Egypt, also won one of this year's Aga Khan awards for its "highly participative approach towards urban heritage conservation".

The initial phase of the project saw Takween Integrated Community Development restore and adapt some of the area's historic buildings using traditional techniques. A second phase focused on developing small and micro businesses alongside tourism services and cultural branding.

Two projects in Iran were awarded the prize this year. On Hormuz Island, ZAV Architects won for Majara Residence and Community Redevelopment, a colourful complex of domes designed as a tourist retreat that emulates the island's ochre-rich soil.

"In its deep sensitivity to context, this project exemplifies how architecture can become a formidable force of optimism and rigorous resolve to shift the social, cultural, and material pendulum," the jury said.

Colourful retreat on Iranian Island — The Majara Residence and Community Redevelopment was designed in ochre colours

Meanwhile, KA Architecture Studio was awarded the prize for its Jahad Metro Plaza in the capital, Tehran. The formerly dilapidated station was transformed using local handmade bricks.

"Through its subtle strength, attention to heritage and craft, and its aim to revive pedestrian space and social interaction, the project exemplifies the role of architecture in shaping public spaces as living dialogues between history, people and ideas," said the jury.

Arched Tehran metro station — A Tehran metro station was among this year's winners

The multi-storey Vision Pakistan in Islamabad, designed for a charity that works to empower disadvantaged young people, was also one of this year's winners. Designed by DB Studios, it drew on both Pakistani and Arab crafts.

Architect Mohammad Saifullah Siddiqui and educator Rushda Tariq Qureshi "transformed a plot of land close to public transport and invented a building that would not only contain a new type of education, but be full of light, spatially interesting, economically efficient, and highly distinct", the Aga Khan Award jury said.

Vision Pakistan building with colourful facade — Vision Pakistan in Islamabad features a colourful facade

Palestinian studio AAU Anastas is this year's final winner, chosen for its Wonder Cabinet space in Bethlehem. The building houses non-profit exhibition and production spaces and was designed as a hub for craft, design, innovation and learning.

"By imagining both the cultural institution and the physical structure that hosts it, the architects have created a building that transcends its immediate political context, providing a model for an architecture of connection that is rooted in contemporary expressions of national identity and asserts the importance of cultural production as a means of resistance," the jury concluded.

The triennial Aga Khan Award, which was established in 1977, is headed by the Muslim spiritual leader Aga Khan. Its role is to "identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence".

The prize-giving ceremony will be held at the Toktogul Satylganov Kyrgyz National Philharmonic in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, on 15 September.

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