Architects from all across the globe showcase their innovate and modern concepts with building materials and this time nearly 600 projects from 44 diverse countries had been submitted. 2018’s winners of the Wienerberger Brick Award 2018 really surprised the jury with intensely creative and bold architectural ideas for sustainable and modern living spaces.

Wienerberger Brick Award

2018 marks the 8^th that Wienerberger is bestowing this internationally established award. The Brick Award is an independent award; the use of Wienerberger products is no decisive factor for participation.

The competition takes place every two years. Out of all submissions worldwide, an independent panel of architecture journalists and critics narrows down the number to a total of 50 projects, which are nominated for the Wienerberger Brick Award in different categories. Subsequently, an international jury of architects will select the category winners as well as one grand prize-winning project. The award-winning projects are endowed with prize money. All 50 nominated projects including the award-winning projects are published in the accompanying Brick book.

Wienerberger Brick Award –  2018 Winners

As already mentioned, 2018 Wienerberger brick award bagged submissions of nearly 600 projects from 44 different countries. Prizes were awarded in the following categories:

1. Feeling at home

2. Living together

3. Working together

4. Sharing Public Spaces

5. Building outside the box

The award is endowed with a total sum of € 34,000 in prize money in five categories, including the Grand Prize and the Special Prize winners. Post the submission phase, an independent pre-jury tapered down the projects to 50 most eligible ones. From this shortlist nominations a jury of 5 internationally famous architects selected the winners.

And The Winners Are…

This year “Grand Prize” was bagged by two projects one went to the Westkaai Towers 5 & 6 by Tony Fretton Architects and the second went to Kunstmuseum Basel Extension by Christ & Gantenbein, Switzerland.

Westkaai towers 5 & 6, Belgium

Belgium placed Westkaai Towers 5&6 are a part of a huge residential project. While these two towers look similar, they still differ in details. The diversity and range of Flemish bricks allows a subtle difference in color between the two towers. The project is also the category winner of “Living together.”

Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland

Kunstmuseum Basel Extension is a solitary grey brick structure that is connected through an underground hall with the main building. LED lights are integrated into the relief-like grooves made of molded bricks in the façade – updating passers-by about current expositions. In addition to Grand Prize, this project also bagged the “Sharing public spaces” award.

Atlas House, The Netherlands

Atlas House, The Netherlands by Monadnock was successful in convincing the jury for the “Feeling at home” category. Built in the simplest construction materials, this structure displays a perfect control over the application of materials. The building is constructed with red bricks with rough, outpouring joints. While leaving the red bricks visible in the lower part of the building, the top is held a light color.

Terra Cotta Studio by Tropical Space

Terra Cotta Studio by Tropical Space is the category winner of “Working together”. This is a perfect place of concentration and creative wildness. The structure is a brick cube at the foot of a river, bamboo shelves guard the artwork for occasional flooding. The uncommon perforation of the façade already entices attention at the first glance and permits the wind to pass through and cool the workspace naturally.

Stockholm Värtan Bioenergy CHP Plant

Located in the city of Stockholm Värtan Bioenergy CHP Plant by U.D. Urban Design & Gottlieb Paludan Architects won the “Building outside the box” category. The structure homes the world’s largest urban biofueled cogeneration plant which makes a noteworthy contribution to the reduction of the city’s CO2 footprint. The over ground part of the plant has been cladded in a curved façade of vertical ceramic elements.

San Bernardo Chapel by Nicolás Campodonico Estudio and the Old Church of Vilanova de la Barca by AleaOlea architecture & landscape were awarded in the “Special Prize” category.

Source: Wienerberger

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