WAN AWARDS 2011 - Civic Buildings, Editorial, world architecture news, architecture jobs

From all corners of the globe, WAN's 2011 Civic Buildings shortlist stays true to the meaning of 'public space'

Despite the mass riots that swept London this week our hardy panel of judges fought their way to the heart of the city to handpick the top twelve entries to the 2011 WAN AWARDS Civic Buildings sector. While England’s capital continues to pick up the pieces of its broken streetscapes, it is warming to see that the civic submissions offer hope and spirited design encapsulating the very meaning of the term ‘public space’.

This notion of civic function was intrinsic to the jury’s decision process, with the majority of projects catching the eye of our jurors for their balance of strong architectural design and commitment to civic function. Keith Williams, Founding Partner of Keith Williams Architects was particularly taken with Larraz Arquitectos’ Shelter Home for the Homeless in Pamplona, which easily made the shortlist, commenting: “Many homeless people are untied over a social embarrassment about where they are, so a place like this where you are not under display would be quite a good thing.”

A number of schemes were praised for their easy integration into the surrounding landscape; JDS’s Holmenkollen Ski Jump was singled out for this purpose, alongside Bunker Arquitectura’s Sunset Chapel, both prominent figures in their communities yet sympathetic to the surrounding flora and fauna.

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From all corners of the globe, WAN's 2011 Civic Buildings shortlist stays true to the meaning of 'public space'

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