Top British honour for revamped art gallery
Award is given to just 12 buildings a year and recognises some of the world's most imaginative, dramatic and green projects.
The newly developed Auckland Art Gallery has become the first New Zealand building to win the Royal Institute of British Architects International Award for Architectural Excellence.
It comes within a month of the gallery also winning the supreme award, the New Zealand Architecture Medal, at the NZ Architecture Awards and the highest accolade as the country’s top commercial property development for 2012 at the annual Property Industry Awards.
The British honour is given to just 12 buildings a year and recognises some of the world’s most imaginative, dramatic and green projects.
Other winners this year include the world’s tallest building, the Guangzhou Finance Centre. A visiting jury will select the winner of the prestigious Lubetkin Prize.
“We set out to develop a world class gallery and FJMT+Archimedia’s elegant and considered design has been instrumental to achieving that goal,” gallery director Chris Saines says.
“Judged on the response of the near 600,000 visitors to date, this heritage restored and expanded building has become a flag bearer for the city’s architectural and urban design future.”
The gallery development was commissioned and project managed by Auckland Council and included a series of emblematic, sculpted tree-like canopies cut from massive Kauri trees that enclose the forecourt, atrium and gallery areas.
This international award comes within a month of the gallery also winning the supreme award, the New Zealand Architecture Medal, at the New Zealand Architecture Awards and the highest accolade as the country’s top commercial property development for 2012 at the annual Property Industry Awards.
NBR staff
Mon, 25 Jun 2012
Mon, 25 Jun 2012
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Top British honour for revamped art gallery
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