Singapore has something to impress.
By its exemplary cleanliness on the entire public domain, where it is virtually impossible to find a paper lying on the ground or a can of liquor abandoned on a park bench.
With its mature vegetal cover that is required on virtually all commercial arteries, sidewalks and even highways that surround the city.
undefined [/ caption]Source: World Architecture Festival. Architects: Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp + Archimedia
By the richness of its cultural diversity which is declined in all the corners of the city center, from Little India to Chinatown and Arab Street.
But Singapore is especially fascinating architects around the world by its exuberant architecture, which perfectly reflects the eccentricity so often sought on the Asian continent.
This is probably what makes it such a popular city for an event like the World Architecture Festival (WAF), the annual high mass of the architectural community. An event that attracts thousands of architects from around the world every year for a very varied series of lectures, but most importantly for a major awards ceremony. In a way, these are the “Oscars” of architecture that offer invaluable visibility to the various winners in each category. Visibility that can sometimes facilitate the exchange of services between various countries, in a context where more and more architectural firms want to find contracts in foreign countries, particularly in Asia.
undefined [/ caption]Marina Bays Sands: Marc-Andre Carignan
But does not find himself in nomination who wants. The level of competition is particularly high, considering that the biggest architectural firms of the whole world can submit their achievements.
Each architect coveting an appointment must go through a long process of selection, from the submission of an application file to the final stage of the presentation of his project to the jury. A last step that reminds us of university sessions where students must defend their ideas in front of colleagues and professors. Except that at the World Architecture Festival, we are far from student fantasies without budget constraints. It’s the real world. And sometimes the jury does not have the language in its pocket, even if it creates discomfort in front of the public.
We could thus expect that the Grand Prix of the 2013 edition will be handed over to an outstanding achievement, which has been the case. The New Zealand Art Gallery “Toi o Tamaki”, architects Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp and Archimedia, won the prize. A project of great elegance featuring the revitalization of a heritage building from 1888 and a contemporary extension to double the exhibition spaces of the gallery. A perfect fusion of art, architecture and history of New Zealand.
Other notable winners:
undefined [/ caption]Source: World Architecture Festival. Architects: Taylor Cullity Lethlean + Paul Thompson
The Australian Garden, Australia.
Category: Landscape Architecture.
Architects: Taylor Cullity Lethlean + Paul Thompson
undefined [/ caption]Source: World Architecture Festival. Architects: Cox Rayner Architects
National Maritime Museum, China
Category: Future Project of the Year
Architects: Cox Rayner Architects
