This year's winner of the prestigious World Building of the Year award has been announced during the annual World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Australia's Darlington Public School, by fjcstudio, got the nod for its sensitive and inclusive approach to early learning.
The second school to win the World Building of the Year award in a row, Darlington Public School is located in an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Its construction involved the replacement of a tired 1970s school on the site which continued to operate during the building process, minimizing disruption.
The school has a strong connection to the local Aboriginal community, and the design process prioritized a collaborative approach and focused on cost-effectiveness.
It embraces the indigenous culture with an extensive collection of aboriginal artworks that have been preserved and displayed around the school, plus there's a community garden with indigenous plants to teach students indigenous cooking and culture.
The design offers glimpses of the inner courtyard from the main entrance, and curving metal screens protect outdoor learning and play areas, producing a pleasant dappled light. The building also embraces passive elements, including sawtooth roofs angled to the sun, high-level glazing for indirect daylight, and protective curved screens for filtered daylight.
"The architect of the winning project explored and extended the formal program of the client, to include the views and experience of the local community and a variety of users," says Paul Finch, Programme Director of the World Architecture Festival. "This generated a reading of the history of place, culture and time.
"The result of the project is poetic, a building in which topography and landscape, inside and outside, form and materials, flow seamlessly in an unexpectedly delightful way. It is also an inspirational proposition about the acknowledgement and reconciliation of historic difference – a pointer to brighter, better futures for all."
World Interior of the Year
Alongside the main World Architecture Festival, the World Festival of Interiors has also taken place in Singapore. The event's judges have declared Beijing's Pang Mei Noodle Bar, by Office AIO to be the World Interior of the Year.
The noodle bar features a flexible interior finished in muted tones that is arranged around a large roller shutter. Shut during off-peak hours for counter service, it's opened during busier times, expanding the restaurant for full table service. Additionally, an eye-catching stainless steel superstructure juts out of the facade above the bi-fold windows.
Future Project of the Year
The Future Project of the Year highlights works that are yet to be completed. This year's winner is Küçükçekmece Djemevi, by EAA-Emre Arolat Architecture. Slated for Istanbul, Türkiye, it will serve as a gathering space for the Alevi Kurdish community and draws inspiration from a traditional gathering ritual.
Landscape of the Year
The Landscape of the Year award has gone to Regeneration Of Vitality – Shenzhen Guanlan Riverside Plaza, by LAY-OUT Planning Consultants. It involved renovating a number of tired plazas while adding park areas with ecological gardens, a large-scale performance space, and a tree-lined square with children's play areas, stores, and cafes.
Source: WAF
