1998 - 7th Award Cycle - In the rapidly changing tastes and styles of Western culture, the most highly acclaimed designs in contemporary architecture are often unconneced to the social and cultural contexts from which they spring.  In contrast, in Islamic societies around the world, architecture often plays a far more responsible role, responding to the immediate needs of local and personal exigencies. As a result, some of the most humanist contemporary architecture is overlooked by the fashions of today's international design periodicals.