Technosphere: eco-friendly Earth in miniature proposed for Dubai

It’s been a while since we’ve taken a look at the weird and wonderful canvas that is Dubai’s skyline of the future, and this proposal from James Law Cybertecture would slot neatly in among radical designs like the Almeisan Tower and the spiraling ZPO. Shaped like a giant disco ball, the Technosphere is conceived as [...]

Aga Khan Cultural Service: Walled City rehabilitation to take 20 years

WITH the political will and support of the Punjab government and the technical assistance by the Aga Khan Cultural Service, the rehabilitation of the Walled City will be completed within the 20 years under the ongoing Walled City Project.
This was stated by Masood Khan, the technical director Aga Khan Cultural Service, Pakistan, (AKCSP) during a [...]

The Palace that survived the passage of time

The Aga Khan Palace, which was built in 1843 by Aga Sultan Mohammed Shah in remembrance of the late Aga Hassan Ali Shah, in the historical Jhirk Town in district Thatta, still remains beautiful, portraying the proficient work of the architects of yesteryears.
At the time the palace was built, the River Indus used to flow [...]

The Ismaili Center is being inaugurated in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE, October 12, 2009, Asia-Plus  An official ceremony of inauguration of The Ismaili Center in Dushanbe is being held today afternoon.
President Emomali Rahmon and His Highness, the Aga Khan, the Spiritual Leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, are attending the Center-opening ceremony, according to the MFA information department. The Ismaili Center in Dushanbe will be the [...]

Mawlana Hazar Imam opens “a park for all seasons” in the Khorog city centre

Khorog, Tajikistan, 10 October 2009 — A newly revitalised Khorog City Park was inaugurated today by First Deputy Prime Minister Asadullo Gulomov of the Republic of Tajikistan, in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam. The Park is a significant new green space that will serve the residents of the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region in Tajikistan.
Situated [...]

400-year-old house to get Unesco award

KARACHI (APP) – The Ali Gohar House, a 400-year-old architectural masterpiece, formerly used by Hunza’s envoy to Kashgar, was announced as one of the winners to receive the Award for Distinction in UNESCO Asia Pacific Award 2009. An announcement in this regard here on Thursday said that Ali Gohar House, a project restored by Aga [...]

Unesco award for ancient Hunza house

HUNZA, Oct 1: An ancient house in Hunza has received the Unesco’s Heritage Award for 2009. Ali Gohar House, a 400-year-old architectural masterpiece, formerly used by envoy of Mir of Hunza to Kashgar, Sinkiang, was selected by a panel of international conservation experts in architecture, urban planning, heritage conservation and landscape design from among the [...]

The world’s first floating, rotating (floatating?) hotel building

Antalya is a city of around 800,000 people on the Southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Like most cities in that region, it has played host to a revolving cast of empires over the centuries, from the Romans, to the Byzantines to the Ottomans and Turks. Nestled between a stunning coastline and majestic mountain ranges, it’s [...]

UNHCR makes landmark visit to sahrawi refugee camp

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres visited Sahrawi refugees in the Algerian governorate of Tindouf last week as part of an effort to reunite families separated by the Western Sahara conflict.
Guterres, whose five-day tour of Algeria and Morocco ended Saturday (September 12th), said the UNHCR’s proposal for a direct, straight-line land corridor [...]

In Syria, delicate preservation work is pushing against profit-driven speed

DAMASCUS — It claims to be the world’s oldest capital city, outlived only by Aleppo, Syria; and Jericho, on the West Bank. The proof is there, in Mesopotamian texts that mention Damascus and in a deep urban foundation of streets, houses, and sewers from every civilization, piled on top of one another.
it is the city’s [...]

Development is a Walk in the Park

Sandwiched between the historic Stone Town and the Indian Ocean, Forodhani Park in Zanzibar is an excellent blend of old and new.The park was rehabilitated recently by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture at a cost of $2.4 million. It is now a good blend of modernity and history. The success is hinged on the [...]

Historic Forodhani Park Shines Again, After U.S.$2 Million Facelift

Nairobi — After 18 months of painstaking work, the Forodhani Park in Zanzibar was finally opened to the public on Thursday. Rehabilitated by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) at a cost of $2.2 million, the park was officially opened by Zanzibari President Amani Abeid Karume in a function that was also attended by [...]

Research Journal Vol- 3: ArchNet-IJAR Issued for download

The latest issue of ArchNet-IJAR, a fully refereed architectural research journal edited by Professor Ashraf Salama, is available in the Digital Library. Articles in this issue include considerations of the subjects of daylighting, wayfinding, veiling practices in homes in the American Midwest, use of stabilized earth in sustainable housing in Africa, passive ventilation design, the [...]

The Dragonfly: vertical farming vision for New York’s skyline

Building another skyscraper in the middle of New York may not seem like the most environmentally friendly thing to do. That is of course, unless said skyscraper is capable of providing a sprawling urban populous with food, the reuse of natural resources and biodegradeable waste.
The Dragonfly is the brainchild of Belgian company Vincent Callebaut Architectures [...]

Spaceport America breaks ground

Virgin Galactic may be spending over USD$300 million on a commercial space vehicle, but only now has it actually got a place to land. Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, broke ground in New Mexico on June 19th. The 110,000 square foot facility, designed by Foster and Partners, will cost around $200m and [...]