Mohammad al-Asad – författare

Beginning at the end of the first Gulf War, the Middle East entered a new era of architectural and urban development defined by increased levels of globalisation and private sector investment. In the decade that followed, the region was home to a wealth of architectural projects that challenged conventional thinking about architecture and the Middle East itself.Mohammad al-Asad provides an in-depth examination of an abundance of these projects, from homes and schools to hotels and religious centres. Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism in the Middle East examines the economic, political, and cultural context in which the projects were created. The book’s photographs bring attention to previously unaddressed aspects of modern Arabic architecture, highlighting local talent emerging throughout the region.

Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2019The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is one of the most prestigious and renowned awards for architecture worldwide. Since 1980 the Award has been given every three years to projects that combine social and ecological aspects and translate them into innovative and exemplary design. The Award seeks to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of societies across the world, in which Muslims have a significant presence.This publication presents the shortlist of the 2017–2019 award cycle. From a group of almost 400, 20 projects have been shortlisted by the Master Jury and evaluated by an expert group of technical reviewers. Some of these projects have been honoured with the Aga Khan Award. In addition to detailed descriptions of all projects, this book gathers a series of personal statements from the members of the Steering Committee and the Award’s Master Jury on key issues that were crucial in the discussions for the final selection and assignment of the award recipients. Assembled together, this book presents a selection of the outstanding examples of sustainable and socially relevant architecture in the world today and opens up fundamental perspectives for the planning of the future.

Architecture of Coexistence: Building PluralismThis book investigates how architecture can shape an open-minded and inclusive society, highlighting three internationally renowned projects: the White Mosque in Visoko, Bosnia-Herzegovina (1980); the Islamic Cemetery Altach in Altach, Austria (2012); and the Superkilen public park in Copenhagen, Denmark (2012). Scholarly essays across various disciplines, along with interviews with the architects and users of these projects, provide intriguing insights into architecture’s ability to bridge cultural differences. Soliciting a wide array of questions about migration, transculturalism, visibility, inclusion, and exclusion, the book sheds light on the long-term social processes generated between architectural form and its users.Architecture of Coexistence offers a truly interdisciplinary perspective on a very timely subject: “Building pluralism” means designing for a respectful inclusion of different cultural needs, practices, and traditions. With contributions by Azra Akšamija, Mohammad al-Asad, Ali S. Asani, Simon Burtscher-Matis, Amila Buturović, Farrokh Derakhshani, Robert Fabach, Eva Grabherr, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Tina Gudrun Jensen, Jennifer Mack, Nasser Rabbat, Barbara Steiner, Helen Walasek and Wolfgang Welsch.Photo essays by Velibor Božović, Cemal Emden, Jesper Lambaek, and Nikolaus Walter.