DETAIL Prize 2011 Awarded
On January 19, the DETAIL Prize 2011 was presented in Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich during the festive DETAIL Gala. The international prize is awarded for outstanding architecture every two years by DETAIL in cooperation with the BAU tradeshow. The main prize went to David Chipperfield Architects (Berlin) in collaboration with Julian Harrap (London) for the project Reconstruction of the Neues Museum in Berlin.
The reconstruction of the Neues Museum, which was built in 1859 and heavily damaged in the Second World War, by David Chipperfield Architects in cooperation with Julian Harrap encompasses the restoration of the intact parts of the building as well as the restoration of the original room arrangement and volume with new building parts. DETAIL’s editor-in-chief Christian Schittich quoted from the jury’s assessment:
“The architecture is impressive due to the sensual dealings with the material and the tension between the clear, modern architectural idiom of the new elements and the old building stock. The architects manage to create a distinct aesthetic from crumbly plaster and paint residue. Despite the very long construction process, which to some extent was politically influenced, the quality of the clear basic concept and the sensitive dealings with the substance remained constant. The architecture has a sensual aesthetic, which is impressive due to the tense relationship between the clear, modern architectural idiom of the new building elements and the old building stock. Despite the very long construction process, which to some extent was politically influenced, the quality of the clear basic concept and the sensitive dealings with the substance remained constant. The project involves a completely new approach to reconstruction and is an outstanding and authentic example of redevelopment of an existing building.”
The jury awarded the Special Prize for Glass to Tony Fretton Architects (London) for the New British Embassy project in Warsaw, Poland. The new British embassy combines the highest security standards with large glass facades, minimalist design and aesthetic forms. Alluding to neo-classical architecture, the longitudinal, three-story building is rigidly geometrical with an upper floor in the middle. Despite the high security requirements, the design is based on a maximally glazed front.
The Special Prize for Steel went to the Danish architecture office BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (Copenhagen) for the Danish Pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China. The jury found the exhibition concept consistent and coherent due to the expressive form. The jury found the expression of movement particularly impressive. The architecture follows the movement processes of users. In addition to having a striking shape, the construction also has to meet the requirements of temporary pavilion buildings: they have to be easy to erect and take down. This is impressively implemented in steel.
Hild and K Architects (Munich) received the Special Prize for Interior Design for their work in Louis Hotel on the Viktualienmarkt in Munich. The conversion of the building in a historic section of inner-city Munich extends from the façade to details in the windows and parapets, right through to the interior design with the furniture and accessories which were designed especially for this place. The result is an aesthetic that follows the leitmotif of “travel” down to the last detail. The jury sees the refurbished building as a total work of art that deals with the location authentically, sensitively, and very consciously.
The jury awarded the Special Prize for Green Architecture to Spaceshop Architects (Biel) for the residencial building Flury in Deitingen, Switzerland. The project impressively shows that eco-architecture has shed its stigma. The underlying premises of self-sufficiency, ecology and health are self-assuredly implemented in a modern and clear architectural idiom. The Flury residential building solely makes use of local building materials and renewable materials from the immediate environment. The building is completely recyclable and produces no waste. The project is very rational and engages in a sovereign way with the theme of sustainability.
The project group “Forschungspavillion” of the ICD and ITKE institutes of the University of Stuttgart was awarded the Special Prize for Students for the project Forschungspavillon. The elegant pavilion with its light and at the same time room-dividing supporting structure of bent plywood shows novel possibilities of applying and processing the material wood. Computer-aided design possibilities are tested and the potential of parametric building researched by students.
In addition, two company prizes were awarded. The Company Prize Corporate went to the polymer specialist REHAU AG + Co (Rehau), which together with the Weberwürschinger architectural office (Berlin) realized the project Prolin – Ausbildungszentrum Rehau. The jury praised the exemplary transformation of the training center. The character of the old building was preserved despite energy-related renovation interventions and made sustainable by means of sensitive interventions. The extension constitutes a sensitive further construction of the building stock, adapts to the materiality, picks up on formal elements of the old building and develops them further. Nevertheless, with its strong gestures the new part is independent.
The Corporate Prize Product was given to Schmid GmbH from Simmerberg for the product Schmid Light-Acoustic Membrance Ceiling shown in the reference building Museum Folkwang in Essen designed by David Chipperfield Architects (Berlin) and Plan Forward GmbH (Stuttgart). The novel ceiling system meets the high artificial and natural lighting requirements of exhibition spaces taking into account all further construction, design, climatic and acoustic aspects. The museum’s exhibition concept is optimally supported by the new ceiling system.
The DETAIL Honorary Prize 2011 was awarded to the Japanese architect Toyo Ito. With is playful architecture of “conceptual lightness,” Tokyo Ito has taken a distinctive path in contemporary architecture. His method, strongly influenced by experimentation, is never dominated by formal or functional aspects. Socio-cultural interactions always play a decisive role. Toyo Ito has had a strong impact on contemporary Japanese architects, not least Kazuyo Sejima. Ito is an honorary member of the AIA and the RIBA and the commissioner of Kumamoto Artpolis.
The DETAIL Gala
In addition to the awards ceremony honoring the international winners of the DETAIL Prize 2011 – who were announced on this evening – the 400 international guests were treated to a varied program in the festive Hubertussaal of Schloss Nymphenburg. Dr. Dominik Wichmann, editor-in-chief of Süddeutsche Zeitung, took an entertaining and critical look at current developments in architecture and the building industry. Architecture critic Andreas Ruby moderated the bilingual evening event. He MC’d the awards ceremony in the style of the Academy Awards.
In addition to the awards ceremony honoring the international winners of the DETAIL Prize 2011 – who were announced on this evening – the 400 international guests were treated to a varied program in the festive Hubertussaal of Schloss Nymphenburg. Dr. Dominik Wichmann, editor-in-chief of Süddeutsche Zeitung, took an entertaining and critical look at current developments in architecture and the building industry. Architecture critic Andreas Ruby moderated the bilingual evening event. He MC’d the awards ceremony in the style of the Academy Awards.
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