Leisure projects named on shortlist for 2016 Aga Khan Award for Architecture
A public park in Denmark, a Chinese arts centre, a three-storey pedestrian bridge in Iran and a library in Spain are among the leisure projects nominated for the 2016 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
The prize awards projects “from slum upgrading to high rise green buildings – that not only exhibit architectural excellence but also improve the overall quality of life.”
Since its establishment in 1977, more than 110 projects have received the award and more than 9,000 building projects have been documented.
This year, 19 projects from various sectors have been chosen from 348 submissions. Those shortlisted will be competing for US$1m (€878,000, £693,000) in prize money.
The projects are now undergoing “rigorous investigations” by on-site architects, conservation specialists or structural engineers. Their reports will be used by a Master Jury – featuring architects Emre Arolat and Dominique Perrault – to select a final winner.
The prize honours municipalities, builders, clients, master craftsmen and engineers as well as architects.
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was founded by Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, otherwise known as Aga Khan IV. He is the current Imam of the Nizari Ismailis, a figurehead for a branch of Shia Islam.
The mission of the awards is to “identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence.”
More information on the awards and this year’s shortlisted leisure projects can be found below.
Leisure architecture 2016 Aga Khan Award for Architecture architecture design
AI firm Midjourney enters wellness with spa, fitness and body scanning concept
Hot spring wellness community Ameyalli sells residences and breaks ground on resort and spa
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming. The latest addition, Oberon, extends the visitor experience beyond the gallery, reflecting a growing trend for museums to become all-day destinations.
The New Museum in New York has entered a new chapter with the completion of a major
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
Montana Heritage Center by Cushing Terrell opens after US$107 million investment
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
'Minor wellness hotels' recorded the strongest growth across top KPIs in 2025, finds RLA Global
Great Barrier Reef attraction set for AU$180 million reinvention
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has architecture by Leach Rhodes Walker and interiors by Bergman Design House.
Marriott International partners with Fitwel for wellness solutions across its residential portfolio
Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort to unveil new spa in February 2027
Places Leisure is working with Roberts Limbrick to build £60m wellness flagship in Basingstoke
Hoshino Resorts opens Kai Kusatsu as it expands the Kai onsen ryokan brand
Qiddiya and Populous share details of Saudi Arabia’s National Tennis Centre
Disney confirms US$30 billion investment programme as it highlights its economic impact
Until combines multiple disciplines at new Canary Wharf club
Sea Lanes opens following a partnership between The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group
Bas Smets brings water and wilderness to Vitra
Expo 2030 Riyadh will create a permanent global destination
Luxury resort coming to Hunter Valley will have longevity spa
'Data chocolate', dreams made real and artworks shaped by visitors’ emotions: Refik Anadol’s AI art museum launches in Los Angeles
London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
Design-led Koru Health Club combines high-performance training with recovery
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres



















