MONTEVIDEO 2009
PROGRAM OVERVIEW EDITION 2009

The Archiprix International Montevideo 2009 is organised in cooperation with the Facultad de Arquitectura | Universidad de la Republica - Uruguay.

The faculty of Architecture of Montevideo has a tradition of more than 100 years of academic education. Nowadays 6500 students follow academic courses at the faculty. The institution has much experience with the organization of international events, like the annual Seminary of Montevideo in which participated architects of international fame like Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Hiroshi Hara, Mecanoo and MVRDV. The international orientation of the faculty is also expressed in the annual study- trip around the world for advanced students. This is a 60-years old tradition that feeds the students with inspiration from North American, European, African and Asian cultures. Furthermore, the successful participation of graduates from the faculty in former editions of Archiprix International (a finalist in 2003 and a winner in 2005) proves the high standard of education of the faculty.

Meet Henk van der Veen, director Archiprix International
Jury
Winners / Nominees
Participants Favourites
Opening of the exhibition

Workshops 2009
Photo movie award ceremony
 


Meet Henk van der Veen, director Archiprix International
Marina van den Bergen (10-3-2009)
Archiprix started in 1979 in the Netherlands, and developed into the most important prize for graduate designers (architects, urban designers and landscape architects). What was the objective to start Archiprix?
Henk van der Veen: Archiprix started as a competition for students who had graduated on mass housing. The organisers wanted to encourage new developments in housing typology, new allotment structures etc. and hoped that the graduation projects would have a stimulating influence on the daily practice. From 1984 on Archiprix is not only for housing projects but open to every graduation project. The aim from that time on is to stimulate the quality of design education, and give excellent designers opportunities via the publicity the Archiprix generates. That concept turned out be a success, and other countries, like Turkey and Italy started their own national Archiprix competition.

The first Archiprix International was held in Rotterdam (the Netherlands) in 2001 when Rotterdam was cultural capital of Europe. To organise an international version of Archiprix is so obvious. Are there differences between the Dutch Archiprix and the Archiprix International?
The big idea, presenting the work of the best graduates and thus stimulate the start of their professional career, is the same. Mainly because of the different scales and the global character of the international both initiatives have their own specific character. First of all the Archiprix International is due to our budget only held every two years, and the Dutch version is held every year. Secondly, the design schools are allowed to send in only one graduation project. This rule is for a pure logistic reason. Worldwide there are 1400 design schools, not every one participate but who knows, maybe in the future. If schools could send in more than one project, it would be too much to handle. But a more important difference between the national and international Archiprix is the aim. It is not so much about raising the quality of the design education, you can't compare schools on a world scale, with Archiprix International we want to stimulate international networks.

And how do you do that?
Well, before the actual award ceremony where the winners are announced, we organize a workshop. All Archiprix International participants are invited to come. This year 75 graduates will come to Montevideo. For five days young designers from all over the world will work together, get to know each other and have fun. Then there is the exhibition of all the graduation projects which opens with a big party, for this opening we'll invite the press and guest from our main sponsor Hunter Douglas. To promote the graduation projects we publish a book, and we make a portable exhibition that you can download from the internet, print and put up for show. Last but not least we plan to work together with organisations like Architecture for Humanity. The idea behind this cooperation is to bring these international working organisations in contact with talented young designers from countries the organisations are active in.

Does Archiprix International succeed in stimulating international networks?

 Oh yes. For example, some of the participants in last time workshop, which was held in Shanghai (China) teamed up to join the Summer workshop at the Academy of Architecture in Rotterdam. And two participants from Montevideo where commissioned by a client in Dubai who saw their graduation project in the Archiprix book.

Why is this year's edition of Archiprix International held in Montevideo, it is not the first place to come in mind when you think of architecture?

Quite simple, after editions in Europe and Asia we aimed at Latin America. The Facultad de Arquitectura of the Universidad de la Republica Uruguay has both an international orientation and a central position in the Latin American network.The successful participation of graduates from the faculty in former editions of Archiprix International (a finalist in 2003 and a winner in 2005) proves the high standard of education of the faculty. The architecture faculty has 6500 students, and that in a country with a little less of 3,5 million inhabitants! They organise very inspiring activities. What is special, it the big national lottery which is held every year. The first prize is a house and it is designed by one of the students of the faculty. With the money they get in from the lottery, advanced students go for several months on a world trip. Can you imagine, a group of 400 to 600 students travelling together for nine month all over the world? It's so much in the spirit of Archiprix International, right now I can not think of a better place to organize the Archiprix International workshop and award ceremony than Montevideo.
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Jury

The graduation plans selected by the various design education courses to participate in Archiprix International 2009 were assessed by an independent international jury. The jury assessment took place in the Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad de la Republica - Uruguay, Bulevar Artigas 1031,Montevideo, Uruguay on 21 and 22 July 2008.

From left to right: Sou Fujimoto, Juan Herreros (Spain)Salvador Schelotto (Uruguay), Anne Lacaton (France)Mario Schjetnan (Mexico)

Over a period of two days, the jury examined all the projects submitted and were extremely impressed by the huge variety of ideas. They found an enormous wealth of approaches. Many projects reflect the dynamics and the changes that are characteristic of this age. Moreover, it is interesting to observe that the better projects make use of traditional resources. In general, design still takes place using solidly traditional methods – high-standard spatial qualities are developed on the basis of ground plans and cross-section.

Looking at the totality of the plans, the jury observed that relatively little attention had been paid to several important topical issues such as sustainability, the question of gentrification, and social housing. In the main, the attention of the designers was devoted to designing a construction, while harmonization with the context tended to lag behind. However, the reintroduction of imagination in the graduation work is very refreshing. The designers have clearly seized the opportunity to develop inspiring new ideas that can help push the profession forward, instead of merely concentrating on realistic final solutions.

The submissions contain a broad top of high-quality designs. The jury nominated 24 projects for a prize and from this longlist they selected the eight winning projects.
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Winners / Nominees


fltr Kazuaki Hattori, Tomás Garcia de la Huerta, Ryo Kitazawa, Espen Folgerø, Matthew Murphy and Max Rink

WINNERS of the Hunter Douglas Awards (in alphabetical order of project name)
Pasqual Herrero Vicent - Spain > 09_deeply rooted tree
Espen Folgerø - Norway > Deviational Space
Max Rink - Netherlands > MAJA TURG: a market for Tallinn
Ryo Kitazawa - Japan > MArchitecture
Sander Lap - Netherlands > Markerpark
Matthew Murphy - Scotland > Metropolitan Markets
Tomás García de la Huerta - Chile > Regional Museum of Mine Site: North of Chile
Kazuaki Hattori - Japan > Tokyo Littoral Art Center

NOMINEES (in alphabetical order of project name)
Naoki Kato - Japan > 10% Building
Andrew McEwan, Eilidh Henderson, Martin Tarnawski - Scotland > Abandoned Territories Chile
Minke Mulder, Claire Oude Aarninkhof - Netherlands > Croproad Park
Carlotta Meneguzzo, Alice Marzola, Cristina Haumann - Italy > Dialogues with the landscape
Shaikha f Al-Mubaraki - Kuwait > Evolution of a refuge city
Hsing-O Chiang - Taiwan > Fish Tower
David Baros - Czech Republic > GAPA - K125m
Anand Mata - India > Housing for Shipmakers
Tobias Hagleitner, Gunar Wilhelm - Austria > Islamic Community and Cemetery Site in Vorarlberg
Alexandre Massé - Canada > Mercado de Barceló
Max von Werz - England > Open Source Fabric
Gert Breugem - Netherlands > Past the Green Line
Naoko Kasahara - Japan > Symbol
Michal Reich, Naomi Perez - Davidi - Israel > The Dying Sea Project
Gonzalo Rivas Zinno, Joaquin Pereira Cendan - Uruguay > UP-Villa
Lucy E Querales - Venezuela > Waterfront for Chuao
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Participants Favourites

Sune Kornbeck Nielsen - Denmark > Bunker Museum Fanoe (votes: 18)
Joaquin Pereira Cendan, Gonzalo Rivas Zinno - Uruguay > UP-Villa (votes: 15)
Tomás García de la Huerta - Chile > Regional Museum of Mine Site: North of Chile (votes: 14)
Marco Montevecchi - Italy > Regeneration of a suburban area in the outskirts of Rome (votes: 13)
Matthew McFetrick - Canada > The City, Space and Consciousness (votes: 11)
Max von Werz - England > Open Source Fabric (votes: 11)
Ondrej Mundl - Czech Republic > Building - Passage - Parc (votes: 10)
Jed Laver, Kelly Winn - United States > EcoCeramic Research (votes: 10)
Ryo Kitazawa - Japan > MArchitecture (votes: 10)
Timothy Moore - Australia > No Movement Please For Divided We Stand (votes: 10)
Kenichi Akagi - Japan > Architecture as city - City as architecture (votes: 9)
Anastasia Aleksandrovna Globa, Olga Borisovna Ishmetieva - Russia > Arch Novum (votes: 8)
Eveling America Capihuara Sanchez, Wilmer Marzel Mendez Arze - Bolivia > d. Arq. Administrative Building for Comuna Itocta (votes: 8)
Claire Oude Aarninkhof, Minke Mulder - Netherlands > Croproad Park (votes: 8)
Fabian Wichers - Germany > Freetown School of Arts, Sierra Leone (votes: 8)
Teo Boon Ting - Taiwan > Heart of SuzhouCreek (votes: 8)
Carlotta Meneguzzo, Cristina Haumann, Alice Marzola - Italy > Dialogues with the landscape (votes: 8)
Francesco Matteo Belfiore - England > The Invisible University (votes: 8)
Young Hwan Choi, Hyung Jin Choi, Kyung Jae Yu - Korea, South > Stands for healing (votes: 8)
Naoko Kasahara - Japan > Symbol (votes: 8)
Fernando Fisbein - Brazil > Synagogue (votes: 8)
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Opening of the exhibition
The chairman of Archiprix International, Thijs Asselbergs, and dean of the Facultad de Arquitectura, Salvador Schelotto, welcome the guests the Archiprix International sponsor Hunter Douglas.(2009-04-02) [top]