Prominent architecture practices hope to have their projects crowned “the world’s best design” after receiving nominations for the Design Museum’s annual innovation award. The Beazley Design Awards, issued by the London-based museum, consider any contemporary design that enables change, evolution in practice or, simply, captures the zeitgeist. The 2017 winner will be announced on January 25, 2018, after a three-month exhibition and voting period in which the public is invited to weigh in on their favorite design. The 62 nominees span six categories — architecture, graphics, digital, product, fashion, and transport — however architecture projects have won the overall prize twice in the past three years. Scroll through the slideshow above for a look at the architectural projects in the running.
See the Architecture Nominees for the Design Museum’s 2017 Beazley Awards
Mrs. Fan’s Plug-In House by People’s Architecture Office in Beijing
The Plug-In house is the result of a new renovation system in one of central Beijing’s famed hutong neighborhoods. Using prefabricated modules to add modernized design features, the renovation updates hutong infrastructure at a low-cost without disturbing traditional vernacular.
Photo © Gao Tianxia
Warka Water by Arturo Vittori in Dorze, Ethiopia
The Warka Tower, named after a fig tree native to Ethiopia, is a prototype for rural communities to harvest potable water. Built from lightweight materials, the structure is easily constructed and produces 40 to 80 liters of drinking water per day.
Photo courtesy The Design Museum
Hegnhuset by Blakstad Haffner Architects in Utøya, Norway
The site of a 2011 terrorist attack, the island’s cafe and center were transformed into a learning center through a combination of preserving original structures and adding new architectural features which pay tribute to the lives lost and the survivors.
Photo © Espen Grønli
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture by Adjaye Associates in Washington, D.C.
The long-awaited 313,000-square-foot museum comprises of galleries, performance spaces, administrative offices and storage for collections. Sir David Adjaye met the programme with architectural references to African-American heritage, most visibly through the bronze filigree cladding which shades the structure.
Photo courtesy The Design Museum
Wind and Rain Bridge by Dana Holohan, University of Hong Kong students and Peitian Community Craftsman in Peitian, China
Located in a rural village in Southern China, this project is a response to flooding which devastated local infrastructure connecting Peitian to its neighbors. The wooden bridge is made from interlocking timber without mechanical fasteners.
Photo courtesy The University of Hong Kong
Sala Beckett Theater and International Drama Center by Flores & Prats in Barcelona
The renovation of former workers’ club, "Pau i Justícia," was deeply informed by the community’s memories of the old hub, which sat abandonned for many years. The design maintains the club’s spatial characteristics while expanding to make room for a contemporary programme.
Photo © Adrià Goula
The Calais Builds Project by Gráinne Hassett, University of Limerick architecture students and refugees
Architect Gráinne Hassett arrived in the Calais Jungle, an unsanctioned refugee camp close to the French city of Calais, with a team of students. They partnered with refugees living in the camp to build centers for youth, women and children. The structures were demolished by French authorities when the Calais Jungle was emptied in October 2016.
Photo courtesy The Design Museum
Croft Lodge Studio by Kate Darby Architects and David Connor Design in Leominster, England
To preserve a 300-year-old English cottage, architects decided to create a new structure to envelope the historic building in a high-performance shell. Clad in black corrugated iron, the shell mimics the shape of the 18th century cottage within and pays homage to the agricultural heritage of the area.
Photo © James Morris
Lycée Schorge by Kéré Architecture in Koudougou, Burkina Faso
Using local materials like laterite stone in combination with architectural elements, such as overhanging roofs, Kéré Architecture created a sustainable and contemporary secondary school which has been heralded as a new standard of excellence in Burkina Faso.
Photo courtesy The Design Museum
Weltsadt-Refugees’ Memories and Futures as Models by Schlesische27 International Youth, Arts and Culture Center with Raumlaborberlin and the SRH Hochschule der Populären Künste - hdpk
A series of 1:10 scale models made in Germany by refugees from the Middle East and Africa depicts buildings they remember from their displaced homes and structures they frequent now in their new cities. Constructed out of wood and cardboard, the models represent a “world city.”
Photo © Fred Mosley
The Environmental Enhancement of the Five Dragons Temple by Urbanus in Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province, China
The preservation of this Taoist temple, dated to 831 A.D., is an architectural and administrative feat. The project was jointly financed by the Chinese government and private funds, a first for the country, while architects planned ahead for the activation of the temple by designing layers of overlapping spaces large enough to host gatherings and educational activities.
The Port House by Zaha Hadid Architects in Antwerp, Belgium
Repurposing a municipal fire station built in 1911, ZHA designed a four-story extension to sit atop the unaltered station. As the new headquarters for the Antwerp Port Authority, the consolidated workspace now provides two contrasting experiences for its staff.
Photo © Helene Binet
Il Fondaco Tedeschi by OMA in Venice
This renovation of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, an iconic Venetian building dating back to 1228, transformed the historical hub of trade and commerce into a contemporary department store. Creating new entrances and a steel and glass ceiling above the central courtyard, the design evenly balances retail with the creation of public space.
Photo courtesy The Design Museum
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