PHOTOS Tahmineh Monzavi, Ken’ichi Suzuki, Hufton + Crow, MIR, Patrick Reynolds, Luis Gallardo
The World Architecture Festival has revealed its six Special Prize winners ahead of the virtual festival which runs until the 3rd December online.
The winners have been carefully selected from the WAF shortlist over six categories, namely Engineering, Colour, Natural Light, Certified timber and Visualisation and the Best Small Project of the Year Prize.
A panel of specialist judges choose winners across all categories that best showcase the individual intentions of the sections and exhibit architectural excellence.
Best Use Of Colour
Won by Major Residency by ZAV Architects, the holiday community boasts 200 brightly coloured domes overlooking the Persian Gulf on an Iranian island. The judges commented, “The colour and form are beautifully integrated into these simple and stunning domes with their references back to Persian culture and to the immediate natural environment’. They added: ‘They bring harmony and a peace, providing an impressive visual treat to an otherwise quite desolate area.”
Engineering Prize
Won by Nikken Sekkei of Ariake Gymnastics Centre, this 12000 person capacity structure was designed specifically for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The judges commented, “The design and construction process demonstrate an intelligent interrogation of technical considerations.”
Best Use of Natural Light Prize
Maggie’s Leeds by Heatherwick Studio took the Best Use of Natural Light Prize in association with VELUX, a UK cancer support centre. The judges commented, “Judges commented: ‘The biophilic design, combining vegetation and wood, creates a unique experience, and the scarcity of natural light pushes the architects to do more with less, turning restrictive conditions into opportunities.’ They added: ‘The skilful use of manmade and natural materials together with a calculated strategy for views and daylight delivers an unusual project that connects with its users.”
Visualisation Prize
Taken by Atelier Sérgio Rebelo, supported by Lumion for the Alto Douro Winery and Hotel, the future project that celebrates Port Wine production is the Duo Valley. The judges commented, “The video offers an extremely serene visualisation that explores the buildings, their locations and their spaces with highly professional editing and content”. They added: “The seamless insertion of drone footage with the CGI gives a calm, but hyper-realistic ambience which evokes the Portuguese warmth of the winery.”
Best Use of Certified Timber Prize
Won by RTA Studio and Irving Smith Architects and supported by the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification for Scion Innovation Hub, Te Whare Nui o Tuteata, the building is a workplace on the edge of a redwood forest in New Zealand. The judges commented, “‘The project proudly showcases locally sourced timber in a unique diagrid structure requiring less material than traditional mass engineered timber buildings.”
Small Project of the Year Prize
A modular temporary housing unit solution took this prize for the Temporary Housing Pavillion for Health Workers by Russian firm Revolution in response to Covid-19. The judges liked the sleek and simple design and commented “‘The temporary shelter for stressed health workers demonstrates community responsibility and a worthy architectural innovation in the face of the pandemic.”
Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at The Arc at Green School in Bali.
