The prestigious World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2013 has crowned Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, New Zealand, designed by Austrialian office fjmt | francis-jones morehen thorp and New Zealand architects archimedia winner of the ‘World Building of the Year award'.
Paul Finch, WAF Programme Director, on behalf of the jury said “The winning project transcended category types. You could say it is about new and old, or civic and community, or display. It contrasts the manmade and the natural, and the relationship between art and science. This is a major design achievement in a seismic zone, providing an example of design pragmatism and a carful reworking which does no more than it needs to until it is required. Balancing many different elements, the resulting design is a rich complex of built ideas.”
After having won the Culture category on the 2nd day, the project was selected by the festival’s super-jury as world building of the year fending off the challenges from the festival’s other 16 category winners.
Previous winners of the World Building of the Year Award include università bocconi, Milan, designed by Grafton Architects (2008); Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre, South Africa, designed by Peter Rich Architects of Johannesburg (2009); MAXXI (National Museum of the 21st Century Arts) in Rome, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (2010); Media-tic Building, Barcelona, designed by CLOUD 9 Architects (2011); Gardens by The Bay, Singapore, designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Grant Associates, Atelier One and Atelier Ten (2012).
National Maritime Museum - China
Before the main award was announced, the super jury selected two other winners of the Landscape of the Year and Future Building of the Year. Landscape of the year went to the Australian Garden, a new botanic garden in Cranbourne Australia designed by Taylor Cullity Lethlean + Paul Thompson and Future Building of the Year went to COX Rayner Architects waterfront museum in China, the National Maritime Museum.
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