AL AIN: A children’s centre in China, a bridge in Iran and a park in Denmark are among the six winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

The winners were announced on Monday in the historic Al-Jahili fort in Al Ain, the United Arab Emirates. The awards are handed out once every three years and are meant to celebrate architecture that serves and embraces Muslim culture. The network is headed by Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims. This year’s winners included the Hutong Children’s Library and Art Centre, which is located near a large mosque and Tiananmen Square in the Chinese capital, Beijing.

Judges also selected the Superkilen park in Copenhagen, Denmark, hailing it as a “public space promoting integration” among various religious and ethnic groups. “Of course we are looking to award the diversity in the Islamic world, not just in the traditional Islamic world but also the Muslim communities that are outside the traditional Muslim world,” said Mohammad al-Asad, a member of the award steering committee who heads the Center for the Study of the Built Environment in Amman, Jordan.

Published in Dawn October 4th, 2016