from Bustler

” The Royal Institute of British Architects is delighted to announce that a shortlist of seven designs for the River Douglas Crossing near Preston in Lancashire has been chosen by an expert judging panel. The international design competition attracted an outstanding response, with 110 designs received worldwide. Entries were received from architects in Hong Kong, Japan, USA, Australia and Malaysia as well as the UK and Europe.
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The seven shortlisted practices are:

• Amin Taha Architects, London
• Guy Nordenson & Associates, USA
• JDA with Arup, London
• Nick Hancock Design Studio, London
• NPS North West Ltd, Cumbria
• Ramboll Whitbybird with Priestman Goode, London
• t-hoch-n Architektur, Austria

Competitors were set the challenge of designing a suitable cycle and bridleway crossing of the River Douglas at Hesketh Bank with Becconsall. A new crossing of the River Douglas will improve access within the proposed Regional Park allowing more visitors to enjoy the area. It is anticipated that the crossing will function not only as an access route but also as a flagship attraction within the Regional Park. The bridge will also provide a safe off-road sustainable travel and leisure route for use by local residents, schoolchildren and cyclists commuting between Southport and Preston.

The seven designs are preliminary concepts at this stage and will be modified and developed over the coming weeks ahead of a public consultation in September.

The shortlisted teams will meet with the judging panel in October to discuss their concepts further.”
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Popularity: 1% [?]

from Bustler

The sprawling Beijing Olympic Village won its own gold medal today for going green.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson presented Chinese officials with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold award during a short ceremony, saying the 160-acre Olympic Village could serve as a future prototype for energy efficiency and environmentally friendly design.

“China’s leaders know the development of green buildings is a critical need and the Olympic Village can serve as a model for this development,” Paulson said.

The award, based on standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council, is an international benchmark for high performance in “green” design and construction. The village’s 42 six- and nine-story residential high-rises, which house more than 16,000 Olympic athletes, are 50 percent more energy efficient than most buildings in Beijing, using solar panels for energy and recycling wastewater for heating and cooling.

“With this award, the Olympic Village is being recognized for its contributions to making this year’s Olympics the greenest ever,” said Paulson.

Model of the Olympic Village (Image: United Nations Environment Programme)
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Though much attention has focused on the country’s efforts to curb its air pollution, China’s huge push to achieve its goal of a “Green Olympics” has also meant a major investment in other environmental efforts, including the construction of “green” Olympic venues.

Many of the 31 athletic arenas, including the iconic National Stadium and the Water Cube, were built to incorporate environmentally friendly design.

“On day one, we were given instructions in terms of implementing a green agenda,” said Michael Kwok, the Olympic project director for the British-based design and engineering firm Arup, which has been involved in building some of Beijing’s signature new architecture.

Entrance gate to the Olympic Village which will host 16,000 athletes and officials during the games (Photo: LA Times)
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“There was a general objective that this was the ‘Green Olympics’ so we had to consider energy conservation and water recycling. But in terms of details, it was up to designers to come up with solutions,” Kwok said.

At the Water Cube, where Olympic swimming events are held, builders used material similar to plastic wrap to create 4,000 translucent bubbles as the outer shell, allowing sunlight to filter in. The “skin” lets the building use natural lighting, while a rainwater capture system on the roof saves water for irrigation and landscape purposes, said Kwok.

“The Water Cube is very much a green building because of the way the building’s features work. It had inherent advantages of saving energy and also retaining and recycling rainwater,” he said.

Solar panels in the 91,000-seat stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, generate enough energy to power the huge underground parking lot. The arena’s open design, with its intricate external latticework, allows for natural ventilation instead of having a heating and cooling system, while the rainwater collection system uses 108 water tanks, said Kwok.

Typical accomodation in the village (Photo: LA Times)
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“China is going through a ‘green’ push and there’s a lot of buildings that have these elements - water recycling, maximizing natural light, etc. Its all moving in that direction,” Kwok said.

The Olympic Village, the largest non-competition venue at the Games, includes the showcase “near-zero energy” welcome center, which generates nearly as much energy as it consumes using a combination of solar cells and geothermal heat pumps. The village’s developers, the Guo Ao Development Co., received technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Though several individual buildings in Beijing have gotten the LEED award, the Olympic Village is the first residential neighborhood to merit one. The developers plan to convert the development into luxury apartments in early 2009. The cachet and amenities of the Olympic residences have proven very popular with the public - 80 percent have already been sold.

China’s motivations for looking at sustainable design and development go far beyond the Olympics, Kwok said.

“They know that the high rate of urbanization is going on in China so there is an urgent need to find a solution where they can sustain growth but at the same time, not create so much problems in terms of energy and pollution that they are facing,” he said.” Bustler
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Popularity: 1% [?]

from Bustler

“On November 13th the prize-giving ceremony will take place in Mendrisio, to award the CHF 100,000 offered by the BSI Architectural Foundation, with the support of the Federal Office for Culture in Bern and the Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio.

On 17 September 2008, the winner of the first “BSI Swiss Architectural Award” will be announced by the architect Mario Botta, Chairman of the award’s Jury. The award – promoted by the BSI Architectural Foundation, with the support of the Federal Office for Culture in Bern and the Accademia di architettura of the Università della Svizzera Italiana in Mendrisio – is given to architects aged under 50, of any nationality, “that contributed, thanks to their work, to contemporary architectural culture showing a particular sensitivity towards environmental balance”.
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3LHD (Zagreb, Croatia): 123 Tower Proposal, Zagreb
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Thirty candidates from 15 countries are in the running for this first edition of the award. They were selected by an international committee of advisors made up of internationally respected architects and architecture critics. The Jury for the prize comprises Mario Botta, the Chairman, architects Emilio Ambasz (New York) and Valentin Bearth (Chur), who is also the Director of the Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio, as well as Zhi Wenjun (Shanghai) and Davide Croff, a former President of the Venice Biennale.

Adjaye Associates (London, UK): Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver
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“For BSI Bank, investing in culture has always meant helping to raise awareness of the importance of science and the arts in our daily lives and for the sustainable development of society”, commented Alfredo Gysi, Chairman of the Executive Board of BSI AG and Member of the BSI Architectural Foundation. “Thanks to the merger of Banca del Gottardo into BSI, our commitment has now extended to architecture with the awarding of this prize. The award is the culmination of two years of work by the Architectural Foundation, which was set up by Banca del Gottardo and which now forms a valuable part of the heritage of the whole BSI Group”.

the NEXTenterprise (Vienna, Austria): Lakeside Bath, Caldaro - Kaltern
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Mario Botta added: “This award represents an opportunity to recognise and raise the international profile of architects who can make an outstanding contribution to contemporary architectural culture. It is also a good occasion to reflect critically on ideas that favour first an ethical and then an aesthetic approach. The names selected can be considered as some of the most important architects working internationally today. Their sensitivity and professional commitment in their countries of origin highlight their diverse hopes (both fanciful and realistic), in contrast to the contradictions and confusion that are rife today in the debates within the field”.

Antonio Jimenez Torrecillas (Granada, Spain): Dal Bat Showroom, Granada
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This is the first edition of the competition, which will be held every two years. The prize fund is CHF 100,000. The award is attributed to an architect aged under 50, of any nationality, who has produced at least three major works that meet the aims of the competition.

The candidates are selected by a team of international advisors, each one of whom can nominate up to three entrants who meet the criteria and objectives of the award. The members of the team of advisors are: Laurent Beaudouin, Nancy, Gonçalo Byrne, Lisbon, Alberto Campo Baeza, Madrid, Massimo Carmassi, Florence, Roberto Collovà, Palermo, Kenneth Frampton, New York, Dan S. Hanganu, Montreal, Yung Ho Chang, Beijing, Kengo Kuma, Tokyo, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, São Paolo, Boris Podrecca, Vienna, Anant Raje, Ahmedabad and Bruno Reichlin, Paris and Mendrisio.

Shuhei Endo (Osaka, Japan): Rooftecture S, Kobe
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The candidates for this year’s award are:

3LHD (Saša Begović, Marko Dabrović, Tanja Grozdanić, Silvije Novak), Zagreb (Croatia), Adjaye Associates, London (UK), Jesus Aparicio, Madrid (Spain), Solano Benitez, Asuncion (Paraguay), Gion A. Caminada, Vrin (Switzerland), Alfonso Cendron, Venice (Italy), Dominique Coulon, Strasbourg (France), Richard Francis-Jones, Sydney (Australia), the NEXTenterprise (Ernst J. Fuchs, Marie-Therese Harnoncourt), Vienna (Austria), Sean Godsell, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Thomas Heatherwick, London (UK), Rick Joy, Tucson (USA), Alberto Kalach, Mexico City (Mexico), Francisco Mangado, Pamplona (Spain), Mansilla & Tuñon, Madrid (Spain), Francisco and Manuel Aires Mateus, Lisbon (Portugal), Rahul Mehrotra, Mumbai (India), Quintus Miller and Paola Maranta, Basel (Switzerland), Marco Navarra – Studio Nowa, Caltagirone (Italy), OFFICE dA (Nader Tehrani, Monica Ponce de Leon), Boston (USA), Valerio Olgiati, Chur (Switzerland), Promontorio Architectos (João Perloiro, João Luis Ferreira, Paulo Perloiro, Paulo Martins Barata, Pedro Appleton, Adrian Beloso-Baker), Lisbon (Portugal), Saša Randić, Idis Turato, Rijeka (Croatia), Joao Alvaro Rocha, Maia (Portugal), Enric Ruiz Geli (Cloud 9), Barcelona (Spain), S-M.A.O. (Juan Carlos Sancho, Sol Madridejos), Madrid (Spain), Beniamino Servino, Caserta (Italy), Shuhei Endo, Osaka (Japan), Antonio Jimenez Torrecillas, Granada (Spain) and Wang Shu, Hangzhou (China).

OFFICE dA (Boston, USA): Helios House, Los Angeles
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The winner will be announced on Wednesday 17 September 2008, at a press conference to be held in the Spazio inBSI at the BSI headquarters in Via Magatti 2, Lugano, Switzerland.
The prize-giving ceremony will take place on Thursday 13 November 2008 at the Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio, Switzerland. At the same time, the works submitted by the candidates will go on display in the gallery of the Accademia, and a catalogue of the exhibition will be published in both Italian and English.

About BSI Architectural Foundation

The BSI Architectural Foundation promotes knowledge, training and research in the field of architecture. It presents a biennal architectural award (BSI Swiss Architectural Award) and sponsors activities and projects as part of that event, including exhibitions, publications and presentations. The BSI Architectural Foundation is one of the BSI AG Foundations.

João Álvaro Rocha (Maia, Portugal): Tourism Office, Ponte de Lima
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Gallery of the Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio, Switzerland
Dates: 14 November 2008 - January 2009
Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday 1pm-6pm. Closed Monday. Admission free
Catalogue: In Italian and English, on sale to the public
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Popularity: 4% [?]

Registration deadline: September 30th, 2008

“”A design competition which focuses on three specific areas of the city of Roanoke, VA and challenges design professionals and students to create new environments that will transform the current urban landscape. Applicants will explore the city’s potential by creating unique urban and architectural designs that enhance the best qualities of Roanoke and create positive impact on three specific areas of the city: the Roanoke City Market, The Crossing, and Reserve Avenue/Roanoke River. Each is located along the city’s main thoroughfare, Jefferson Street. Through public/private partnerships, redevelopment efforts are currently underway in this area known as The Jefferson Street Corridor.

Drawing upon the skills and resources of designers and visionaries nationwide, we seek big plans to inspire the community and stimulate dialogue about the future growth and development of the city. Roanoke Urban Effect challenges applicants to look beyond the traditional urban planning and architectural model to present innovative and inspired ideas that create a vision for a more vibrant and sustainable urban environment.”

Contact: Joesephine Villacreces

540-857-3298

questions@roanokeurbaneffect.org

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About Roanoke

The City of Roanoke is nestled in a picturesque valley surrounded by the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. First inhabited by Native Americans, the region was a fertile hunting ground with an abundant supply of game drawn to the area by the natural salt licks occurring along the valley’s floor. These natural salt deposits gave the region its first name, Big Lick. Due to its favorable geographical location and with passable gaps in the four cardinal directions, colonials and pioneers began to settle the area. With the emergence of coal mining in West Virginia, the area developed from a small farming village into the railroad hub for the Norfolk & Western Railway. In 1882, the railroad developers, seeking a more dignified appellation for the growing town, changed the name from Big Lick to Roanoke. As the influence of rail travel increased and lines were built and expanded the town grew rapidly. Within two years the population grew from 600 to 5,000 inhabitants. In eagerness to expand the railroad lines, tracks were laid along the path of least resistance. For Roanoke this meant filling and covering the salt licks, the largest of which was filled with rock and became the city’s Main Street, now known as Jefferson Street.

old Roanoke Mills [from flickr]
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Jefferson Street runs on a North/South axis crossing the rail lines at Norfolk Avenue on the south side of downtown. The rail yards and machine shops are located along the north side of the tracks and to the east of downtown. The Hotel Roanoke and the former Norfolk & Western passenger station, now the O. Winston Link Museum, are both located to the east of Jefferson Street on the north side of the tracks. The urban core of the city extends southward from the tracks along Jefferson Street. Market Street, home to the vibrant local farmer’s market as well as retailers and restaurants, parallels Jefferson Street to the west and terminates at Elmwod Park. Jefferson Street continues through the city, past the new Carilion Medical complex and proposed Riverside Center, ending in the neighborhood of South Roanoke.

The Jefferson Street Corridor has been chosen as the focus area for this competition due to its unique influence in Roanoke’s history, on its urban core, and its potential too affect the city’s future.

downtown Roanoke, VA from Mill Mountain [from Flickr]
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Design Goals

* Improve the quality of life in the city of Roanoke by creating a more vibrant and sustainable urban environment.
* Present innovative and inspired ideas to the community, providing them a vision of how well-designed public spaces can improve the city and its quality of life.
* Encourage young talent in the area to become involved in the future growth and development of the city.
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Design Options:

Option 1 - Buildings
Present a design solution that proposes a building development plan for one of the competition focus areas. Proposals should address building function, scale, massing, interrelationship with other buildings and open spaces, and conceptual theme.

Option 2 - Urban Design
Propose an urban design solution that connects all three focus areas along the Jefferson Street Corridor. Proposals should address street scape, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, public art, street furnishings and other methods of enhancing linkage of the three focus areas.

Option 3 - Urban Planning
Propose a land use policy or scheme that creates a pattern of development along the Jefferson Street Corridor that creates synergy and connectivity between the Market area and Riverside.

In all options, entrants are encouraged to incorporate the ideals of sustainability and pedestrian movement while addressing the issues and constraints unique to each focus area.

Proposed Focus Areas
Three focus areas have been chosen for this competition. All are located along the Jefferson Street Corridor. The Jefferson Street Corridor lies along a north/south axis and is anchored by the railroad tracks and Rail Walk fountain to the north and the Carilion/Roanoke Memorial Hospital to the south. These three sites have also been identified by the City of Roanoke as preferred sites for proposed redevelopment.

Some properties on these focus areas are susceptible to flooding during periods of heavy or extended rainfall, specially focus areas #2 & #3. Any proposed solution for these areas should take into account that much of the area is within the 100 year floodplain

* Early Registration - August 18th - 31st, 2008
* Registration - September 1st - 30th, 2008
* Q & A - August 25th – September 5th, 2008
* All Q & A will be addressed by this date - September 12th, 2008
* Site Visits - September 2008 (Day TBD)
* Site Visits - October 2008 (Day TBD)
* All competition entries must be received by 5:00PM EST to be eligible for judging - October 31st, 2008
* Competition Judging - November 13th, 14th and 15th, 2008
* Awards Announcement and Final Awards Event - November 15th, 2008
* Exhibition - November 16th, 2008 – December 7th, 2008

Jury Panel: To be announced
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Check All the details of  ROANOKE URBAN EFFECT 2008 DESIGN COMPETITION on:
http://www.roanokeurbaneffect.org
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Popularity: 5% [?]

from Dezeen

” Davide Marchetti Architetto have won a competition to design a new Australian Pavilion in the Giardini at the Venice Biennale in Italy. The 500 square metre concrete pavilion was the winning entry to a competition commissioned by Cafe Di Stasio. An exhibition of the short-listed entries is being held at Heide Museum of Modern Art until Sunday 3 August.”

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Check the rest of the project here
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Popularity: 4% [?]

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lebanon invites practicing architects to compete in an international architectural competition organized under the auspices of the International Union of Architects for the construction of the House of Arts and Culture. It is a one stage, anonymous project competition.

Description:

” The House of Arts and Culture (the Lebanese-Omani Centre) will be a space for cultural and artistic production, for exchange and interaction between the largest number of Lebanese and especially the youth. It will be an independent space with the aim to contribute to social communication and cultural expansion and to promote creativity in different fields of art and culture.

Therefore, the Centre should attract a large number of Lebanese every day of the year. Its public should be diverse and go beyond the few “regulars” that attend theatre halls, exhibitions or other cultural centres spread in Beirut and the country.

To achieve this goal, the Centre should be a free space of artistic expression with no boundaries. Its functions and agenda, multiple but equilibrated, should be open to all kinds of Art, including those that encourage interactivity between artists and their public, conferences, workshops, free initiatives, etc.” Tarek Mitri - Ministre of Culture

Goals & Objectives:

” The first of its kind in the capital city of Lebanon, the House holds an important responsibility: that of being the leading place in arts and culture. It should therefore assert itself in the international arena of arts and culture as an innovative structure, both in its concept and contents and in its architecture. It will resolutely be looking towards exploring the future of arts and culture and will encompass the use of modern technologies.

Jury Members:

The Jury of the international architectural competition is composed of nine members. They are:
- The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lebanon or his/her representative.
- The Representative of the Sultanate of Oman.
- The Representative of the Orders of Engineers and Architects of Lebanon
- The Representative of the Lebanese Company for the Development and Reconstruction of Beirut Central District (SOLIDERE)
- Ms. Magda Hosam Eldin Mostapha, Architect (Egypt), representative of the International Union of Architects (UIA)
- Mr. Suha Özkan, Architect, Historian and Theorist (Turkey)
- Ms. Momoyo Kaijima, Atelier Bow Wow (Japan)
- Ms. Izaskun Chinchilla, Architect (Spain)
- Mr. Okwui Enwezor (Nigeria), Dean of Academic Affairs and Senior Vice President at San Francisco Art Institute (USA).

Awards:

Popularity: 7% [?]

From Bustler

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR THE DESIGN OF THE KAPTOL, ZAGREB (CROATIA)

RESULTS
” In March 2008, the CITY OF ZAGREB launched a public, single stage, open, international ideas competition for the design of the Kaptol in Zagreb (Croatia) and invited all architects, urban planners or landscape architects to take part in it.

The Kaptol area is a part of the city core as well as an element of the historical urban area of the City of Zagreb, the most complex space considering cultural, historical, spiritual, social and legal aspects.  The competition is primarily aimed at urban requalification of the Kaptol area through its historical identity, contents and traffic elements.

The competition was organized with the support of the Croatian Architects’ Association (CAA).

JURY
The jury, under the presidency of Nikola Basic, architect (Zadar, Croatia), was composed of: Ivica Fanjek, architect, representing the City of Zagreb; Sasa Begovic, architect, representing the CAA (Zagreb) ; Miljenko Bernfest, architect, representing the CAA (Zagreb) ; Igor Franic, architect, representing the CAA (Zagreb); Juraj Kolaric, professor, representing the Zagreb Archdiocese Cultural Assets Office; Dietmar Steiner, architect (Vienna, Austria) and Alan Kostrencic, architect, deputy member (Zagreb).

WINNERS
The jury conferred from 11 to 13 July 2008 in Zagreb and examined the entries. The results were officially announced on July 13th, 2008. When the adjudication was over, anonymity was lifted and the names of the winners revealed.
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FIRST PRIZE
mikelic vres architects
Marin Mikelic, Tomislav Vres, Josip Jerkovic (Zagreb)

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SECOND PRIZE
Andrej Radman, Igor Vrbanek (Zagreb)

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ONE OF THE TWO EQUAL INCREASED PURCHASES
zerOgroup – Laurent Troost (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) (http://www.zerogroup.org)

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ONE OF THE TWO EQUAL INCREASED PURCHASES
NEIDHARDT Architects - Velimir Neidhardt (Zagreb)

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ONE OF THE TWO EQUAL PURCHASES
SKOPEO - Andrea Barac (Zagreb)

Popularity: 9% [?]

Dominique Perrault

International competition on invitation
1st prize, January 2008

” Our proposal presents a city plan for a new area. The urban strategy organises two types of projects, an exceptional project and a contextual one. The urban plan develops and completes the existing city street network in order to create a new quarter. The territory dimension has been transformed, restructured and has become the focus of a master plan reflection which will create a group of streets, places and building islets in harmony with the surrounding environment. An exceptional architecture building will emerge out of this city plan corresponding on the one hand to the Grand Hotel and on the other hand to the casino. Thus, three main buildings will appear in the landscape, all related with different periods of time. This new building will transform the city skyline as prominently as the Grand hotel and the Casino once did. Preserving this fabulous context, a specific architecture is added, but in relation with those ones which have put an impact on the city history.
This project is in line with the site geography, both supported by the mountains and rooted in the casino park.
We developed, extended and amplified the casino huge belvedere terrace to link the past with the future. It’s the matter of a new park, overhanging the valley and harmonizing difference and diversity of architecture. The architectural concept draws inspiration from surrounding nature and mountain landscape by creating huge chaotic stone blocks, like a mass of fallen rocks. This spontaneous and free architecture seems to be natural because it refers to parts of known landscapes. Like fragments or crystals on a rock, the windows are inlaid in the stone rocks. It’s not a normal glazing, but rather modern like to be found in sacred architecture. Thus, the interior is filled with a colourful light which will bring mildness within the thermal baths, a place of wellness and contemplation. This interior poetry makes a contrast with the natural violence of rock slides which are in harmony with the mountain slope and the park.”

Popularity: 7% [?]

from Bustler

The Irish Architecture Awards, which travel to approximately 20 venues around Ireland and to London, are intended to communicate the range, variety and quality of the Architects work in any one year. Here is a list of this year’s winning projects:

Best Accessible Project: ABK Architects for the New Civic Offices, Cork

Accessibility and the principles of universal design were evidently well considered. A diligent philosophy not to differentiate and separate all users has been employed throughout in addressing issues of external approach, reception, way finding and the overall internal environment. Bright ‘white’ finishes of most surfaces create a calm environment but may impede differentiation. This minor comment, however, is not to take away from a building that is a fine example of what is truly meant by an accessible environment.
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Best Conservation / Restoration Project: Michael Collins Associates for the Chq building, Custom House Quay, Dublin 2

A well considered conservation strategy based on minimal intervention, including the replacement of a previous altered gable end to the river with a contemporary glazed screen, has conserved the intrinsic historical character of this nationally important warehouse and provided the city with an innovative landmark shopping precinct responding to the Sean O’Casey bridge over the River Liffey.
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Best Educational Building: Murray O’Laoire for the CIT Cork School of Music

The long awaited Cork School of Music is a wonderful project combining the rigorous needs of a college with the functional requirements of music
recital. On a tight urban site, the landmark building by the Lee will provide inspiration for creativity and performance. Bravo!
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Best House & Public Choice Award: MacGabhann Architects for Tuath na Mara, Portsalon, Portsalon, Letterkenny

This is an example of a one-off house in the countryside that sits lightly in its setting and yet has a strong presence. The house has dark elements, just as the surrounding land does, and yet respects and provides a platform for the beauty of the scenery by letting it shine through the building. Tread softly for you tread upon our Donegal.
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Best House Extension: A2 Architects for One up-One Down-One Deep, 11 Carlisle Street, Dublin

This Dublin extension sensitively adds to a listed building by hiding away and yet not being small and retiring in itself. There is a strict palette of colours and materials but these shades and fabrics are in themselves expressive. Overall the extension is functional and human at the same time with elements placed in ways that enhance life, such as seating within the fabric of the home and plenty of natural light. This is a design for people and the city.

Best Housing Project: there was no winner in this category: Two projects were highly commended including: O’Briain Beary for the Lots Apartments, 16 Capel Street, Dublin 1, and Dublin City Council, City Architects Division for Memorial Court, South Circular Road, Dublin 8

Best Leisure Building: Murray O’Laoire for Tailteann Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, Limerick

There were 29 entries in the Best Leisure Building category, with an award to the sculptural Tailteann project at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The Jury were somewhat disappointed in the standard of projects in this class, given the potential for interesting solutions to the varied briefs for this building type.

Best Office Development / Commercial: Bucholz McEvoy for Elm Park Office Buildings, Merrion Road, Dublin 4

The Best Office Development class attracted 26 entries of uniformly high quality, with the issue of sustainability a consistent theme. The award to Elm Park is a tribute to the new working environment, proving that green buildings need not wear woolly jumpers.
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Best Public Building: ABK Architects for the New Civic Offices, Cork

There were 23 entries for Best Public Building. The projects included New Civic Offices, continuing the roll-out of new county halls of which Cork is an outstanding example. The Jury noted the bravery of Brookfield Community Centre and the restraint of St. Paul’s Community Centre, Glenageary, where the contemporary complements the old.
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Best Retail Building: DePaor Architects for the Salon, 1B Emmet Place, Cork

There were 9 submissions in the Best Retail Space class, with the award given to The Salon in a much-modified town-centre building. The Jury noted the disparity in the scale of the entries, ranging from fully-blown out-of town shopping centres to meticulously-detailed fit-outs.

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Best Sustainable Project: ABK Architects for the New Civic Offices, Cork

This project has achieved a balanced environmental and architectural statement through committed engagement by all stakeholders in the building design process. The client’s utilization of a ‘build design contract’ is underpinned by a focused briefing and assessment process.  The building design and execution is holistic and measured, achieving controlled energy conservation and user comfort. The confidence expressed by the client and contractor in the initial design proposals have been justified by the completed project.
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Assessors’ Award: Grafton Architects for 7-9 Merrion Square & The Billets, Dublin

Popularity: 11% [?]

Danish architects 3XN were announced winners of the competition on the new Denmark’s Aquarium, ‘The Blue Planet’, planned to open 2013.

” Inspired by the whirl streams of the sea, shoals of fish, and swirling starlings turning the sky black, 3XNs winning proposal is called ‘Whirlpool’. Indeed, from the round centre hall of the building the different parts are ‘whirled’ in the slightly curved sequence of rooms.

The Blue Planet building site is in Copenhagen, at the island of Amager, right at the coast of Øresund, north of Kastrup Havn, close to the Copenhagen Airport, and viewed from a plane the whirlpool shape will show in its full. Approaching on the ground, one will experience the building as floating in a circular reflection pool, and a walk through its interior is a travel through several organic worlds.

Designing The Blue Planet, the architects team was indeed inspired by nature, says principal of 3XN, Kim Herforth Nielsen. “We wanted to stage a totality of the experience one has visiting an aquarium. The starting point was this magnificent experience of actually watching fish in their element. We wanted to create that adventurous feeling, and we took inspiration in the natural phenomenon of the whirlpool or maelstrom drawing you into the deep. A sculpture at the coast it unites the natural elements of water, air and earth.”

Thus situated in the borderland between the worlds of Poseidon and Zeus, the walls and roofs form a single, continuous flow and are clad in a way which emphasises the wavy outline of the building, thereby telling a story of this union. The first and longest of the whirlpool’s arms follows the shape of the landscape and the building, moving into the land.

Entering The Blue Planet, the building will convey a sense of the special experience that awaits them inside. Here, the whirlpool has pulled you into another world – a world beneath the surface of the sea. If you tilt your head backwards, you understand that you are really a part of this aquarium because the roof above the foyer is made of glass, and at the same time it is the bottom of a pool. High above, through the pool water, you can see the sky with sunlight being reflected in the water and forming flickering, shimmering sunspots on the floor and walls of this light, welcoming and at the same time mysterious entrance area.

The Round Room is a centre of navigation in the aquarium, and this is where visitors choose which river, lake or ocean to explore. Each exhibition has its own face towards the Round Room, each with its own entrance, starting with a buffer zone – a platform where sound and images are used to introduce the atmosphere communicated in the ensuing exhibition room.

Raised a few metres above the terrain, The Blue Planet is a reflection of strong coherence; greatness in the smallest of things, all water in the world being inextricably linked, from the enormous forces of tsunamis to the infinitely tiny, spinning molecules. Overlooking the Øresund, the building connects land and sea, drawing both the great outdoors and visitors inside.

In the landscape, the great whirlpool continues through the terrain, the pools and the sea surrounding the building. Like watery currents, the building is not static – the movement continues into the future by virtue of always allowing possible extensions to add more, simply by letting the lines of the whirlpool grow further out.” Bustler

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