24-12-2019
World Architecture Festival winners
Studio Link-Arc, Civic Architects, ADEPT, Original Design Studio,
We return to the topic of the World Architecture Festival, held in Amsterdam December 4 through 6, 2019, to take a look at the winners in the principal award categories, from World Building of the Year to Future Project of the Year and from Landscape of the Year 2019 to Small Project of the Year.
The World Architecture Festival and the INSIDE Festival of Interiors, held in Amsterdam brought more than 2,000 architects from all over the world to the Dutch capital for three days of discussion and debate December 4 through 6, 2019.
The awards ceremony concluding the three-day event was held in the famous Beurs van Berlage, the former Amsterdam stock exchange designed and built by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage beginning in 1895. This iconic place provided the setting for the announcement of the winners of the principal awards, selected by a super-jury including architects and experts such as Ben van Berkel, UNStudio founder and architect; Aaron Betsky, president of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture; Anuradha Mathur, associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; Murat Tabanlioglu, founding partner in Tabanlioglu Architects, and Maria Warner Wong, design director with WOW Architects & Warner Wong Design.
LocHal Public Library by Civic Architects, Braaksma & Roos Architectenbureau and Inside Outside / Petra Blaisse was named World Building of the Year 2019, the most important honour. The library was created in a former railway warehouse built in 1932 in Amsterdam, which the architects brought back to life by transforming it into a gathering-place for the public and a new kind of library. The project makes use of the existing structure, minimising the work required on structural elements. The jury emphasised how the project restores a significant building to the community, saving it from demolition and transforming it into what they call a “social condenser”, a place that serves a multitude of functions for different users.
In addition to the library, the building contains artistic and co-working organisations, areas for hosting conferences and public events, and a series of laboratories for learning new skills.
THE CONNECTED CITY Oberbillwerder, a project by architectural studios ADEPT and Karres en Brands with Transsolar, Büro Happold and Kraft, is the winner in the Future Project of the Year category. The project, not yet completed, includes a masterplan for 360 hectares in a suburban area in Hamburg. When finished, the urban development will include housing, businesses, shops, public buildings and creative activities. The super-jury which presented this award included Francine Houben, Mecanoo founder and partner, and Richard Hassel, director and founder of WOHA.
The award for Landscape of the Year 2019 was presented to Original Design Studio for their Demonstration Section of Yangpu Riverside Public Space in Shanghai, China, a project reconnecting the city of Shanghai with its riverfront. The jury appreciated this intelligent solution, which also becomes a celebration of the city’s and the river’s industrial past. The architects reclaim the historic idiom of the places and use it in an innovative way in their project, with outstanding attention to detail.
Studio Link-Arc won the award for Small Project of the Year 2019 for Lokadhatu (The World), a children’s pavilion built in a city park in Zhangzhou, China. The judges appreciated the installation’s originality and ability to do away with the boundary between indoors and outdoors, between "work of art" and "spectator", inviting users to come in and become a part of the installation.
(Agnese Bifulco)
Images courtesy of World Architecture Festival
01 (World Building of the Year) LocHal Public Library by Civic architects (lead architect), Braaksma & Roos Architectenbureau, Inside Outside - Petra Blaisse © Stijn Bollaert
02 (AR Emerging Architecture awards 2019) Social Housing Production II by Comunal Taller de Arquitectura © Onnis Luque
03 (Future Project of the Year) THE CONNECTED CITY Oberbillwerder by ADEPT and KARRES EN BRANDS together with Transsolar, Büro Happold, Kraft © ADEPT, KARRES EN BRANDS Doug & Wolf
04 (Landscape of the Year 2019) Demonstration Section of Yangpu Riverside Public Space by Original Design Studio © Su Shengliang, Zhan Changheng, Zhang Yong
04b (Landscape of the Year 2019) Lao-Ju River Oasis Restoration of Riverfront Ecosystem by Ecoland Planning and Design © Runzhou Park Construction Engineering Project Management Co., Ltd.
05 (Small Project of the Year 2019) Lokadhatu (The World) by Studio Link-Arc © Su Chen, Chun Fang
06 (The Architectural Photography Awards 2019 overall winner) Laurian Ghinitoiu – The Twist Museum, Kistefos Sculpture Park, Jevnaker, Norway, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group
07 (Best Use of Natural Light) Smith Campus Center, Harvard University by Hopkins Architects © Janie Airey, Nic Lehoux
08 (Use of Colour Prize) Comfort Town by archimatika © archimatika
09 (Amsterdam Prize) Freebooter by GG-loop © Francisco Nogueira
10 (Best Use of Certified Timber) Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre by iredale pedersen hook architects with Advanced Timber Concept Studio © Peter Bennetts
11 (Water Research Prize) Recycle Build Brazil by Recycle Build © Recycle Build
12 (Visualisation Prize) SAKHA_Z - Park for the Future Generations by ATRIUM © ATRIUM
13 (Visualisation Prize) Swirling Cloud_ Bulletin Pavilion for BJFU Garden Festival by SUP Atelier © Su Chen, Chun Fang
14 Student Charette © Gabriele di Stefano
