Sydney's shimmering One Central Park takes top honors at 2014 LEAF Awards

Having caused a stir when its trademark 110-tonne (121-ton) heliostat frame was lifted into place, Sydney's One Central Park is back in the news. The striking building has been named the overall winner of the 2014 LEAF Awards. Its heliostat was cited as the main reason for its success.

The LEAF Awards seek to honor buildings that are setting benchmarks for the international architecture and design community. The awards were established by Leading European Architects Forum (LEAF) International and are given annually. This year's judge panel comprised Carlo Castelli (AECOM), Alan Crawford (Crawford Partnership), Firas Hnoosh (BDP), Božana Komljenovic (Zaha Hadid), Rysia Suchecka (NBBJ) and Lev Libeskind (Daniel Libeskind).

One Central Park was entered into the "best sustainable development of the year" category, going on to win both the category and the overall prize. The judges argued that its use of sustainable technology, including a central thermal plant and a water recycling plant, were enough to set it aside from its competition alone.

However, they pointed to its "astonishing cantilevered Heliostat with its array of adjustable mirrors forming a shimmering canopy," along with its vertical gardens and green terraces, which give the building a a hi-tech tree-house feel, as the real triumphs of its design.

Awards were presented in a total of twelve different categories. The Esas Aeropark in Turkey was named "mixed use building of the year," with its use of blocks to provide shelter and maximize exposure to sunlight. The Steyn City Club House in South Africa was named "hospitality building of the year" and was recognized for being both functional and sustainable.

The "best future building of the year" was split into "drawing board" and "under construction" categories. The "drawing board" category was awarded to the Ring House in Saudi Arabia for its circular design and the "under construction" category was awarded to the Mongkok Residence apartment block in Hong Kong for its efficient use of space, provision of unobstructed views from its apartments and green wall.

You can see pictures of all the winners in the gallery.

Source: LEAF Awards