The Smithsonian Institution's National Building Museum will present its annual Vincent Scully Prize to Aga Khan IV, the Ismaili Muslim leader.

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The Aga Khan is being cited for his contributions promoting design excellence and improving the building environment in the Islamic world, it was announced Tuesday.

The presentation, which will take place in Washington Jan. 25, will honor the Muslim prince for the $500,000 in awards he gives every three years to projects that demonstrate architectural excellence in societies in which Muslims have a significant presence. The award is in its ninth cycle.

The Aga Khan, who lives in Switzerland, recently announced seven winning projects chosen from 378 submissions at a ceremony in Delhi, India. They include the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a primary school in Gando, Burkina Faso, B2 House in Ayvacik, Turkey, restoration of Al-Abbas Mosque in Asnaf, Yemen, and the Old City of Jerusalem Revitalization Program.

The most unsual project honored was the Sandbag Shelter Prototypes Program for self-built housing by refugees and displaced persons using earth-filled sandbags to form domed or vaulted spaces. The program was initiated by architect Nader Khalili of Cal-Earth Institute in California.