Moroccan architect Salima Naji has won the Arab World Institute’s Grand Design Prize, awarded in Paris on Wednesday, September 9, for her Tiznit Heritage Interpretation Centre, a raw-earth project built within the city’s historic walls.
Naji sees the award as recognition of 20 years of work dedicated to preserving Morocco’s architectural heritage. Twenty-six projects competed in the fourth edition of the prize, while an exhibition featuring the finalists remains open to the public until September 20 at the IMA headquarters.
Built with raw earth within Tiznit’s historic walls, the winning project reflects Naji’s longstanding commitment to preserving and promoting Morocco’s architectural heritage.
The awards ceremony was held in Paris on Wednesday, September 9, in the presence of IMA President Anne-Claire Legendre. In a statement carried by MAP, Naji said she was “very moved” to receive the prestigious award, which “rewards 20 years of effort.” She said she particularly saw it as recognition of her work on “the question of heritage turned toward the future.”
The award-winning project is a source of pride for the architect. She explained: “It managed to bring together all kinds of ways of building and working with materials (wood, tataoui, stone, earth), which is extraordinary, because it is also a kind of collection of fragments of architecture and creation, brought together in one place, paying tribute to craftspeople.”
The jury, for its part, praised a project that “reactivates local materials and ancestral techniques through contemporary architecture.” It added: “At a time when architecture often seeks innovation through novelty, the project reminds us that innovation can also come from an understanding of what is already there, by giving it a future.”
Based in Tiznit since 2008, Naji studied architecture in Paris, where she also earned a doctorate in social anthropology. She later completed postgraduate studies in aesthetics, arts and image technologies, followed by studies in the philosophy of art.
She is the author of several books, including Architecture du bien commun, pour une éthique de la conservation. She has also received numerous national and international architecture awards, including the Grand Gold Medal of the French Academy of Architecture.
The finalist projects are featured in an exhibition open to the public, including works by four other Moroccan creators. The exhibition runs until September 20 at the IMA headquarters in Paris.
Created by the Arab World Institute, the Design Prize recognizes innovative work in design, architecture and crafts. It also promotes the expertise and cultural identities of the Arab world.
