SA buildings take on the world

Here at VISI, we’re well aware that South African architecture is world class and the 2011 World Architecture Festival Awards shortlist, released this week, proves it once again. Four South African buildings are in the running in three different categories.

The Dalrymple Pavilion, designed by VISI Designers of the Year Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, has been shortlisted in the House category. A delighted Silvio told VISI that this sort of recognition is great for South African architecture. “The building itself is ‘handcrafted’ with pure Modernist architecture statements,” he says.

The no-compromise home is a simple glass box with a rammed earth wall that runs the length of the building, plunges into the indoor pool and re-emerges downstairs. With a purist Modern aesthetic and embracing traditional architectural elements, the Pavilion showcases South African architecture at its finest.

Also in the House category is Kotlowitz Marais Architects’ 25 Loader Street in Cape Town – a minute 65-square-metre cottage that was transformed into a 185-square-meter house boasting a roof deck with 360° views of the city and its landscape.

Canadian architects RUF Project’s Football Training Centre in Soweto embodies the country’s love of the game. The state-of-the-art facility – with four pitches, a training gym, player lounges and education facility – has been nominated in the Civic and Community category.

Another of VISI’s favourite developments, Jonathan Liebmann’s Arts on Main and Main Street Life by Daffonchio Architects, was nominated in the New and Old category. The transformation of the two buildings from light industrial spaces to work, exhibition and recreational spaces for Johannesburg creatives impressed WAF as much as it did us.

In its fourth year, the WAF Awards has seen the highest number of entries to date in 2011. With 704 entries from 59 different countries, the figures and the exceptional standard of entries prove this one of the biggest architecture competitions in the world.

Buildings designed by renowned architects such as Zaha Hadid and Foster + Partners feature among buildings by smaller or lesser-known practices. All will compete as equals as the designs are presented live to international judging panels and Festival delegates at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona from 2–4 November 2011.

New for WAF 2011 is the introduction of the OpenBuildings People’s Choice Award, providing those interested with an opportunity to vote for the entry they deem worthy of winning. The public can then compare their choices to the opinions of some of the world’s most highly regarded architects to determine the winner of the OpenBuildings People’s Choice Award.

We will most certainly be online backing our favourite South African architects and creatives. Will you?

More information: www.worldarchitecturefestival.com