Presentation of the International Urban Project at BAU Congress China

2019-10-18

  • New award honoring projects for forward-looking urban development
  • The winner has been announced: Oodi Library, ALA Architects in Helsinki
  • Guest of honor at the award ceremony: Hubert Aiwanger, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria

The International Urban Project Award (IUPA) will be presented for the first time at the BAU Congress China in Shanghai on November 5, 2019. The prize honors buildings realized over the past five years that have distinguished themselves through their outstanding influence on the evolution of architecture and urban planning in an international context. Following the jury meeting, the winners were announced: the first place goes to ALA Architects. The designers of Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Urbanus were also awarded a Special Prize. The congress is an integral part of BAU China. The leading trade fair in the Asia-Pacific region for ‘Building Systems Solutions, High-End Technologies and Materials’ will take place for the first time in Shanghai from November 5 to 8, 2019.

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The following extraordinary projects have convinced the jury:

  • First place: Helsinki Central Library Oodi, ALA Architects
  • Special Prize: The Shed, New York, Diller Scofidio + Renfro
  • Special Prize: Nantou Old Town Preservation and Regeneration, Shenzen, Urbanus.

The jury about the decision: “The jury believed unanimously that both ‘The Shed’ and ‘Nantou’ are outstanding design experimentations, fitting into their respective social and urban context. The Library in Helsinki, however, pertains the original intention of the IUPA: a common public facility at a common scale, built in a generic urban context – but with design excellence that brings new meanings to the daily public life.”

Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Messe München, offered his congratulations: “With their award-winning projects, the winners demonstrate their outstanding performance for the entire architectural world. They provide impetus for forward-looking and modern urban development. I am delighted that we at Messe München were able to support the implementation of this award.”

The BAU Congress China, which is integrated into BAU China, offers an ideal setting for the presentation of this award because the congress picks up on brand-new topics and shows practice-oriented solutions for the industry.

Hubert Aiwanger, State Ministerof Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy and Deputy Bavarian Prime Minister, will open the award ceremony. The ceremony will take place on November 5.

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Background: Selection procedure and jury

The International Urban Project Award was initiated by the trade journals Bauwelt (Berlin) and World Architecture WA (Beijing). They were supported by Messe München and the company Jung.

A selection of international experts from the world of architecture were invited to nominate those projects for the prize that they considered as outstanding. More than 40 submissions thus found their way to the jury, which voted on the winners in Beijing on 7 October. The following jury members participated:

  • Dr. h.c. Kristin Feireiss, Co-Founder and Director of AEDES, Berlin; Member of the jury of the Pritzker Architecture Prize (2013-17) and Member of the international jury for the Architecture Biennale in Venice (2012)
  • Professor Michele Bonino, Professor of the DAD - Dipartimento di Architettura e Design, Politecnico di Torino
  • Cao Jiaming, Vice President of the Architectural Society of China (ASC) / President of the Architectural Society of Shanghai China (ASSC)
  • Dipl.-Ing. Binke Lenhardt, Partner at crossboundaries, Beijing / Member of BDA (Association of German Architects)
  • Li Cundong, General Secretary of the Architectural Society of China
  • Boris Schade-Bünsow, Editor-in-Chief of Bauwelt, Berlin
  • Professor Zhang Li, Professor at Tsinghua University / Editor-in-Chief of WA Magazine / Founder of TeamMinus, Beijing

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