Islamabad’s Vision Pakistan, a revolutionary vocational training center, was recently declared one of seven winners of the esteemed Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The winners will share the $1 million award.
The semi-annual award—established in 1977—aims to recognize architectural ingenuity that serves communities within Islamic nations. For Pakistan’s DB Studios, which designed Vision Pakistan, the recognition draws necessary attention to the importance of using sustainability as a fulcrum for development.
Vision Pakistan is a multi-story facility in the federal capital that features a facade adorned with fixtures inspired by both Arab and Pakistani culture. Praised by the independent Master Jury of the 16th Award Cycle (2023-2025) for being “full of light, spatially interesting and economically efficient,” it adopts a community-centered design with elements of natural flourishes situated alongside the concrete constructions. It strives to rehabilitate disadvantaged youth, aged 16-25, by providing vocational training in tailoring and literacy, coupled with broader life skills. The center emphasizes integration, equipping young people with tools to enter the workforce through trade practices, while its location ensures strategic accessibility via common routes of public transport.
The facility accommodates 40-50 students, plus tutors, management and support staff.
Past wins
Over the years, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture has recognized several buildings in Pakistan. Rahim Yar Khan’s Bhong Mosque was recognized in 1986 for its celebration of folk art, while Khuda ki Basti in Hyderabad was honored in 1995 for its low-income approach to development. Among the most prominent recipients of the honor is the Alhamra Arts Council, which won in the 1996–1998 cycle, lauded for its flexible construction that allows expansion and accommodates artistic additions. Beyond recognition, Pakistan also hosted the first-ever Aga Khan Award ceremony in 1980, at Lahore’s Shalimar Gardens.
Historically, architecture has been judged by its ability to beautify its surroundings. From Greece’s Parthenon to the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, the intricacy of such construction has attracted critics and admirers alike. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, by contrast, seeks to pair the aesthetic with the practical, highlighting the purpose buildings serve for the people they are meant for. Rather than merely inviting admiration for construction, it acknowledges the unjustifiable decadence of form over function in states with limited economic resources.
Vision Pakistan ably illustrates this principle. Colorful grates grant space for natural lighting, reducing the building’s energy footprint and creating a warm and welcoming environment. The central atrium grounds the complex, connecting occupants to nature. A rooftop kitchen garden teaches valuable lessons in food security and self-sufficiency, while ease of access from public transport reduces the burden of travel costs. Each feature is intentionally designed to boost utility, rather than rely solely on grandeur.
Prior winners from Pakistan have been similarly beneficial to their communities. Khuda ki Basti gave agency to low-income residents, granting them homes suited to daily life. The Bhong Mosque provided a place of worship for rural populations while doubling as an institute of learning. The Alhamra Arts Council bridges both utility and culture, boating performances and exhibitions in celebration of artistic practice, strengthening communal spirit.
For a country like Pakistan, where opportunities are often intrinsically tied to wealth, perpetuating disparities in education, culture, and shelter, these facilities aim to utilize sustainable practices for environments rooted in dignity regardless of class or stature.
At its best, architecture is more than mere presentation. What separates an average building from a great one is not the ego or vision of the architect, but the impact it has on the lives of those who inhabit or use it.
The Aga Khan Award upholds this principle. Its very existence, and Pakistan’s frequent place among its honorees, remind us that a tapestry of charm becomes gaudy if not woven with intent. It is a realization that aspiring architects would do well to heed.
Other winners
In addition to Pakistan, the following countries took home the prize:
- Bangladesh’s Khudi Bari, in various locations, by Marina Tabassum Architects. A replicable solution built with bamboo and steel for displaced communities affected by climatic and geographic changes. The Jury recognized the project’s deep ecological framing, contributing to the global advancement of bamboo as a building material.
- China’s West Wusutu Village Community Center, in Hohhot, by Inner Mongolian Grand Architecture Design Co., Ltd. A center built from reclaimed bricks that provides social and cultural spaces for residents and artists, while addressing the cultural needs of the local multi-ethnic community, including Hui Muslims. The Jury noted that the project generates a valuable shared and inclusive communal microcosm within a rural human macrocosm.
- Egypt’s Revitalization of Historic Esna by Takween Integrated Community Development, a project that addresses cultural tourism challenges through physical interventions, socioeconomic initiatives and innovative urban strategies, transforming a neglected site into a prospering historic city. The Jury acknowledged the ways the project is stimulating a historic urban metabolism to cope with the contemporary challenge of improving human conditions.
- Iran’s Majara Residence and Community Redevelopment, in Hormuz Island, by ZAV Architects, a colorful complex whose domes reflect the rainbow island’s ochre-rich soils, providing sustainable accommodations for tourists who visit the unique landscape of Hormuz Island. The Jury described the project as a vibrant archipelago of varying programs that serve to incrementally build an alternative tourism economy.
- Tehran’s Jahad Metro Plaza by KA Architecture Studio, a once dilapidated station transformed into a vibrant urban node for pedestrians. The Jury highlighted the use of local handmade brick as strengthening the connection with Iran’s rich architectural heritage, while its warm subtle texture emphasizes the station’s status as a new urban monument.
- Palestine’s Wonder Cabinet, in Bethlehem, by AAU Anastas. A multipurpose, non-profit exhibition and production space built with the input of local artisans and contractors, to become a key hub for craft, design, innovation and learning. The Jury found that the building provides a model for an architecture of connection, rooted in contemporary expressions of national identity, and asserts the importance of cultural production as a means of resistance.