Graham Jahn, president of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, says that the 2001 national architecture award winners - which include the Melbourne Museum, the D House in Brisbane and the Ansett Terminal at Sydney Airport - show that “architectural genius can be wrought from the most complex problems.”
According to Jahn, the biggest problem today “is the increasing density of our cities and the two major award winners addressed this problem brilliantly.”
The Sir Zelman Cowan award, given to the best public building, was won by architects Denton Corker Marshall for the Melbourne Museum. Described by the jury as “a tour-de-force of informed urban sensibility fused with the courageous design skills of authors,” this award places Denton Corker Marshall at the top of the award winners list.
The D House by architects Donovan Hill which won the Robyn Boyd award for housing was described by the jury as engaging “concepts of urban consolidation and the public/private nexus with great subtlety and civic conscience.” Located in Brisbane’s CBD, this house contributes in a major way to the debate about living in an urban environment.
The jury felt strongly that there were another two houses they considered to be as worthy of the Robin Boyd award as the D House and gave two national jury awards for projects of outstanding merit. One was to architect Andrew Nolan for the Jenkins Robson House “for managing to create a series of indoor and outdoor spaces within the restraints of a Sydney terrace house.” The other went to architect Craig Rosevear for the Archer House at Whale Beach, Sydney for a house that “resonates with the idea of a simple, coastal weekender.”
The commercial award went to Bligh Voller Nield for the Ansett Terminal at Sydney Airport with the jury describing the project as “a carefully planned and impeccably detailed building.”
The Walter Burley Griffin award for urban design was awarded to The Line of Lode Memorial in Broken Hill which comprises a memorial and visitors’ centre commemorating the hundreds of miners who have died at work in this mining town since 1883. It was designed by a group of students from the University of South Australia with Chris Landorf as the project architect.
Architects Wood Marsh with Rice Skinner Architecture and Interior Design received two major prizes for their work on the Mansion Hotel in Victoria. The jury gave this project the Lachlan Macquarie award for conservation and the interior architecture award for transforming a once derelict seminary “into one of the most carefully and lavishly designed boutique hotels in the country.”
Another project that received two prizes was the Karijini national park visitors’ centre in WA’s Pilbara that was designed by Woodhead International BDH using weathered steel plate for the walls. The jury said this “made a building which looks as though it has grown from the ancient landscape of plateau, hills and gorges.” The building took out the BHP Colorbond steel award for the innovative use of steel and a commendation in the public buildings section.
The sustainable architecture award was given to Sydney’s Ryder Associates Architects, Ryder SJPH Architects for the Sydney velodrome. “The architect has integrated a suite of natural ventilation and lighting concepts into the architecture of the building with skill,” said the jury. “It’s environmental efficiency is further demonstrated through the vast internal space enclosure with a light, latticed steel structure of inventive economy.”
Commendations given by the jury include: the University of Tasmania faculty of arts building and Riawunn aboriginal education centre by Peter Elliott Architects; Open to the River House, Brisbane by Lacoste and Stevenson Architects; the Johnson-Kroon residence, Darwin by The Architects Studio; St James Station environs by Lahz Nimmo Architects with City of Sydney City Projects; Fort Denison, Sydney by Alexander Tzannes Associates and Richmond Office, Melbourne by Neil & Idle.
Source: Building Products News.