- Posted on 1 Sep 2026
- 3 min read
In partnership with UTS Faculty of Design and Society and the Aga Khan Awards for Architecture.
This September, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture comes to Sydney, with the School of Architecture and Built Environment in the Faculty of Design and Society at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) hosting an exhibition of the seven winning projects from the 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture cycle.
The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of public conversations exploring what makes architecture exceptional and how buildings continue to shape lives long after their completion.
Running from 1-11 September 2026, Architecture, Recognised: Aga Khan Architecture Award Exhibition will showcase seven projects spanning three continents and a diverse range of architectural contexts, from flood-resilient housing in Bangladesh to transformed public spaces, heritage projects, and community-focused architecture.
The exhibition provides an opportunity to explore projects recognised not only for their design quality, but also for the ways in which architecture responds to people, place, culture, and the environment.
The Sydney programme will feature Farrokh Derakhshani, Director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, who will share insights into how architectural excellence is assessed. His visit will also include an opening reception and panel discussion examining what happens to buildings after they are completed.
Please see below the full list of events as part of this series.
Beyond Design: How Architecture Is Judged
Wednesday 2 September 2026 | 5.00-6.00pm
Guthrie Theatre, UTS Building 6 (Peter Johnson Building), 702 Harris St, Ultimo, Level 3, Room 28
Free public lecture | Register here
What makes a building exceptional? Is it its design, its beauty, its relationship with its surroundings, or something more? On 2 September, Farrokh Derakhshani, Director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, will present the public lecture Beyond Design: How Architecture Is Judged, offering a rare insight into how completed architectural works are evaluated through the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Drawing on decades of experience with one of the world's most significant architectural award programmes, Derakhshani will explore what separates a good project from an exceptional one, and how factors including design quality, social impact, cultural relevance, environmental performance, and long-term value contribute to a holistic understanding of architectural excellence.
The lecture will draw on the award-winning Community Spaces in Rohingya Refugee Response in Teknaf, Bangladesh, as a case study. The project demonstrates how architecture can respond to complex humanitarian circumstances while working with local materials, skills, and communities.
The event offers architecture students, practitioners, and anyone interested in the built environment an opportunity to look beyond conventional measures of architectural success and gain insight into how buildings are assessed once they move from drawings and construction into everyday life.
Panel Discussion: The Life of a Building: Architecture Beyond Completion
Thursday 3 September 2026 | 5.00-7.30pm
UTS Central (Building 2), 61 Broadway, Ultimo NSW 2007, Level 4 Foyer (Facing Broadway)
Register here
The Sydney programme continues on 3 September with the official opening reception of the Aga Khan Architecture Award Exhibition, followed by a panel discussion considering the life of architecture beyond completion.
Moderated by Professor Anthony Burke and featuring Lee Hillam, Annette Pitman, Justin Hill, and Farrokh Derakhshani, the panel will explore what happens to architecture once a building is completed and occupied.
Architecture is often considered at the point of completion, yet this is only the beginning of a building's story. As buildings are used, adapted, and experienced over time, they acquire new meanings and develop relationships with the people and communities around them.
The discussion will consider how buildings endure, evolve, and create lasting value, and how their legacy might be understood beyond the original intentions of the architect.
Together, the opening reception and panel discussion provide an opportunity to celebrate the exhibition while reflecting on a broader question: what makes architecture matter over time?
Architecture, Recognised
The Architecture, Recognised: Aga Khan Architecture Award Exhibition will be on display at UTS Central, Building 2, Level 4 Foyer, 61 Broadway, Ultimo, on weekdays between 9 am - 6 pm from 1-11 September 2026.
We invite students, architects, design professionals, academics, and members of the wider community to visit the exhibition and take part in this programme of conversations at UTS.
No registration required