The European Prize for Urban Public Space is a biennial competition organized by six European institutions, the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine (Paris), The Architecture Foundation (London), the Nederlands Architectuurinstituut (Rotterdam), the Architekturzentrum Wien (Vienna) and the Museum of Finnish Architecture (Helsinki).
The award, created in 2000, celebrates its sixth edition in 2010 and aims to highlight the importance of public space as a catalyst of urban life, and to recognize and foster investment by public administrations in its creation, conservation and improvement, while also understanding the state of public space as a clear indicator of the civic and collective health of our cities.
Here are this year’s winning projects:
JOINT WINNER:
Open-Air-Library
Magdeburg (Germany), 2009
DEVELOPER: Department of Building and Construction, Bürgerverein Salbke-Fermersleben-Westerhüsen e.V.
AUTHORS: KARO* with Architektur+Netzwerk
COLLABORATORS: Christian Burckhardt Gregor Schneider Mandy Neuenfeld
AREA: 488 m2
COST: 325,000 €
The residents of a socially depressed neighborhood have organized to collect and share books in an open-air library that they have constructed, after a participative process, with prefabricated pieces from a demolished building.
JOINT WINNER:
Den Norske Opera & Ballett
Oslo (Norway), 2008
DEVELOPER: STATSBYGG
AUTHORS: SNØHETTA
COLLABORATORS: Integrated art on the stone clad surfaces, with artists Kristian Blystad, Kalle Grude and Jorunn Sannes. Integrated art on the metal clad facades with artists Astrid Løvaas og Kirsten Wagle.
AREA: 38,500 m2
COST: 500,000,000 €
The Opera House roof gently emerges from the waters of the port of Bjørvika to offer people walking on it a splendid view over the city and fjord.
SPECIAL MENTION:
Urban Activators: theater podium & brug Grotekerkplein
Rotterdam (Netherlands), 2009
DEVELOPER: Rotary Club Rotterdam Noord, foundation ‘Grotekerkplein’, OBR Rotterdam
AUTHORS: Atelier Kempe Thill architecs and planners
COLLABORATORS: Team Atelier Kempe Thill: André Kempe, Oliver Thill, David van Eck with Teun van der Meulen, Kingman Brewster, Takashi Nakamura, Frank Verzijden Consultants: ABT, Velp City of Rotterdam, Rotterdam
The addition of a theater pavilion programmatically dynamizes the old square, articulating its relationship with the Deftsevaart canal.
SPECIAL MENTION:
Paseo Marítimo de la Playa Poniente
Benidorm (Spain), 2009
DEVELOPER: Generalitat Valenciana - Ayuntament de Benidorm
AUTHORS: Office of Architecture in Barcelona
COLLABORATORS: Luca Cerullo - Dirección de Obra Juan Calvo - Estructura
The complex strip of transition between the city and beach unfolds in a colorful repertoire of sinuous forms that is sufficiently powerful to order the seafront facade and confer on it a unitary character.
SPECIAL MENTION:
Passage 56 / espace culturel écologique
Paris (France), 2009
DEVELOPER: atelier d’architecture autogérée
AUTHORS: atelier d’architecture autogérée
Popular initiative has transformed a neglected passageway of the rue Saint Blaise into a collectively-managed ecological garden.
SPECIAL MENTION:
Casetas de pescadores en el puerto
Cangas do Morrazo (Spain), 2008
DEVELOPER: Puertos de Galicia
AUTHORS: Irisarri + Piñera
A row of fishermen’s huts dynamizes the breakwater of the port with an activity that is deep-rooted in the place and attractive to the eyes of passers-by.
More info on the winning projects at Public Space.
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