Architecture

WAF names World Building of the Year

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Tilburg, Netherlands' LocHal Public Library, by Mecanoo and Civic Architects, repurposes an old train storage shed into a unique public library
Stijn Bollaert
Archimatika won the Use of Colour Prize for its vibrant Comfort Town housing development in Kiev, Ukraine
Andrey Avdeenko
Demonstration Section of Yangpu Riverside Public Space, by Original Design Studio, was declared the Landscape of the Year winner for its regeneration of Shanghai's waterfront
Su Shengliang, Zhan Changheng, Zhang Yong
The Amsterdam Prize was presented to GG-loop for its Freebooter Housing project, which is designed to maximize sunlight inside the homes, while still maintaining the privacy of the occupants
Francisco Nogueira
The Lao-Ju River Oasis Restoration of Riverfront Ecosystem, by Ecoland Planning and Design Corp, is the winner of the Landscape Rural category. The project involves the restoration of a riverfront in Linfen, China
Runzhou Park Construction Engineering Project Management Company
Tilburg, Netherlands' LocHal Public Library, by Mecanoo and Civic Architects, repurposes an old train storage shed into a unique public library
Stijn Bollaert
Studio Link-Arc won the Small Project of the Year for its children's pavilion Lokadhatu (The World)
Su Chen, Chun Fang
The Best Use of Certified Timber prize went to iredale pedersen hook architects for its Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre in Australia
Peter Bennetts
Recycle Build was announced as winner of the Water Research Prize for its water recycling initiative in Brazil
Recycle Build
Atrium won the Visualisation Prize for this render named SAKHA_Z — Park for the Future Generations
Atrium
Hopkins Architects received the Best Use of Natural Light prize for its Smith Campus Center, Harvard University. The judges lauded its "blurred boundaries of interior and exterior"
Janie Airey, Nic Lehoux
The Engineering Prize went to SUP Atelier for its Swirling Cloud: Bulletin Pavilion, which was constructed for the BJFU Garden Festival
Su Chen, Chun Fang
The winner of the Future Project of the Year is the Connected City Oberbillwerder, by ADEPT and Karres En Brands, Transsolar, Büro Happold, and Kraft
ADEPT, Karres En Brands Doug & Wolf
X-Space | Urban Fabric Regeneration received the WAFX Prize for its project Verform which envisions creating a new 'urban living room' on the longest road in the United Arab Emirates
Verform
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A disused railway storage shed that's been transformed into an innovative public library has been awarded the prestigious World Building of the Year prize at the 2019 World Architecture Festival (WAF). The LocHal Public Library in Tilburg, the Netherlands was crowned during a three-day event in Amsterdam where a range of prizes including Small Project of the Year, Landscape of the Year and Future Project of the Year were awarded.

The building that houses LocHal was originally constructed back in 1932 and functioned as a locomotive hangar before it fell into disuse and was slated to be demolished. Happily, Civic Architects, along with Braaksma & Roos Architectenbureau, Arup, Inside Outside/Petra Blaisse, and Mecanoo, turned it into a superb library, co-working space, and cultural center that serves the local community instead.

The LocHal Library includes a writer's room that's lined with books
Mecanoo

The interior design is sympathetic to the site's history. For example, industrial columns are left exposed and old train tracks remain in place on the concrete floor. In a nice touch, large tables built atop old train chassis can be moved up and down the tracks to create stages for outdoor events. Elsewhere, a cosy writer's room has been created by lining its walls and ceiling with books. This book motif is repeated in the children's library too, which is inspired by a nearby fairytale theme park.

Landscape of the Year

Demonstration Section of Yangpu Riverside Public Space, by Original Design Studio, was declared the Landscape of the Year winner for its regeneration of Shanghai's waterfront
Su Shengliang, Zhan Changheng, Zhang Yong

During the same event, Original Design Studio won Landscape of the Year for Demonstration Section of Yangpu Riverside Public Space. The project aims to reconnect Shanghai's urban population with the city's stretches of waterfront, while also celebrating its industrial riverside heritage.

Small Project of the Year

Studio Link-Arc won the Small Project of the Year for its children's pavilion Lokadhatu (The World)
Su Chen, Chun Fang

Lokadhatu (The World), by Studio Link-Arc, won Small Project of the Year. Consisting of a pavilion for children in Zhangzhou, China, WAF's judges lauded its originality and ability to blend interior and exterior.

Use of Colour Prize

Archimatika won the Use of Colour Prize for its vibrant Comfort Town housing development in Kiev, Ukraine
Andrey Avdeenko

Archimatika's Comfort Town picked up the Use of Colour Prize for its vibrant 180 low-rise apartment building development in Kiev, Ukraine. The project fosters a safe pedestrian-friendly space.

Best Use of Certified Timber

The Best Use of Certified Timber prize went to iredale pedersen hook architects for its Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre in Australia
Peter Bennetts

Best Use of Certified Timber was awarded to iredale pedersen hook architects for its Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre in Australia. WAF's judges were particularly impressed with the timber detailing of the multipurpose community building.

Future Project of the Year

The winner of the Future Project of the Year is the Connected City Oberbillwerder, by ADEPT and Karres En Brands, Transsolar, Büro Happold, and Kraft
ADEPT, Karres En Brands Doug & Wolf

The Future Project of the Year, which celebrates architecture underway but yet to be completed, went to the Connected City Oberbillwerder, by ADEPT and Karres En Brands, along with Transsolar, Büro Happold, and Kraft. Located in Hamburg, it will feature a mix of housing, business, shopping, public buildings, and recreational activities.

WAFX Prize

X-Space | Urban Fabric Regeneration received the WAFX Prize for its project Verform which envisions creating a new 'urban living room' on the longest road in the United Arab Emirates
Verform

The WAFX Prize concerns proposals that are deemed to tackle the world's biggest challenges, ranging from climate change and carbon reduction to aging and health. X-Space|Urban Fabric Regeneration got the nod for its project Verform, which envisions creating what it calls a new 'urban living room' along a 1 km (0.6 mile) section of the Sheikh Zayed Road – the longest road in the United Arab Emirates.

Head to the gallery to see more of the 2019 WAF winners, including some additional awards, such as the Water Research Prize and Best Use of Natural Light.

Source: WAF

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