Winner announced...
Grafton Architects' new faculty building for the Luigi Bocconi University in Milan has become the first World Building of the Year at the inaugural World Architecture Festival.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Festival director Paul Finch described the building as 'a totally 3d piece of design' and praised it for its relationship with the city.
Day two winners announced
The winners of the nine categories presenting today are as follows:
New and Old Robert & Arlene Kogod Courtyard, Smithsonian Institution by Foster + Partners
Office Duoc Corporate Building by Sabbagh Arquitectos
Pleasure Sheep Stable by 70F
Production BMW Welt by Coop Himmelb(l)au
Religion and Contemplation Dornbusch Church by Meixner Schlüter Wendt Architekten
Sport Sports Hall Bale by 3LHD Architects
Shopping K:fem by Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB
Private House Final Wooden House by Sou Fujimoto Architects
Transport Nordpark Cable Railway by Zaha Hadid Architects
Day one down and the winners are...
Tough decisions as the first 8 category winners are announced
Paul Finch was under no illusions when he announced the winners of the first eight categories in the World Architecture Festival Awards this evening - it has been a long day. Taking just five minutes to announce the winners he managed to divulge that some of the decisions had not been easy and one, in particular, Housing proved a controversial choice. But WAN's earlier prediction was proved correct with the announcement that Mountain Dwellings by BIG were the category winners who will go through to Friday's final round overlooked by the super-jury. Lord Norman Foster will head the jury who will decide between 17 category winners to conclude which of the diverse structures shall be dubbed World Building of the Year 2008.
LISTEN TO ANNOUNCEMENT OF CATEGORY FINALISTS HERE
Today's category finalists are as follows:
Civic GZBICC - Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center by Buro II
Culture - Oslo Opera House - by Snohetta
Energy Waste + Recycling - Landscape Restoration of the Controlled Rubbish Dump "La Vall d'en Joan" - by Batlle & Roig Architects,
Health Centre pour le Bien-être des Femmes et la prévention des mutilations génitales féminines 'G.Kambou' - by FAREstudio
Holiday Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre - by Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects
Housing Mountain Dwellings - by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group
Learning Universita Luigi Bocconi - by Grafton architects
Nature Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle Art Museum - by Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism