Recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1986.
This low-income residential community for 25'000 people consists of over 4'000 units organised around a large central square in which the mosque, markets and festival hall are located. Surrounding this central area on three sides are six housing clusters made up of parallel rows of attached four- and five-storey apartment blocks separated by pedestrian streets that give access to all buildings. Entrances face each other and open staircases act as communal balconies. The planning and design approach was based on the observation that for low-income, formerly rural or nomadic people, public space, pedestrian networks and the interrelation of housing groups are more important than the design organisation of the individual units. Furthermore, safety and security were seen to be of great importance. The jury noted that Dar Lamane "represents an innovative approach to planning. Gateways mark the entrance to the shopping streets and link the clusters of housing; their introduction is a brilliant device to provide a sense of territoriality which is fundamental to the success of a housing project. Even more important is that the gateway embodies many layers of meanings and functions that are deeply rooted in Moroccan culture."
Serageldin, Ismaill, editor. Space for Freedom. London: Butterworth Architecture, 1989.
Description
This book chronicles the first decade and the achievements of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture with special reference to the activities of the third cycle (1984-1986), and presents the winning projects of the 1986 Award. The title Space for Freedom was chosen to underline the commitment of the Award in all its activities, to create an intellectual space where imagination ca soar and the pursuit of relevance and architectural excellence can proceed in myriad ways, transcending a single architectural style or school of thought. Within this space for freedom,
scholars, intellectuals, practising architects and critics have committed themselves to a far-ranging quest for insight into the future built environment of Muslims. Space for Freedom is the third in a series of books under the general title "Building in the Islamic World Today".
