Copenhagen,
23
October
2006
|
00:00
Europe/Copenhagen

Lights of Tomorrow

Summary

Three winners and 17 honourable mentions are presented and honoured at the International VELUX Award 2006 for Students of Architecture that takes place at the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao today.

Louise Groenlund from Denmark wins first prize for her project 'A museum of photography'. Gonzalo Pardo from Spain and Anastasia Karandinou representing the UK take second and third prizes.

- To reach a spatial complexity through this type of architectural simplicity, embedded in a strong belief in the capacity of light, is very rewarding. It requires personal strength, talent and consistency. The project is presented well and reveals spatial sensitivity and architectural maturity.

This is the jury's motivation for awarding first prize to 27-year-old Louise Groenlund from Denmark. In her project 'A museum of photography'" she uses the camera as a metaphor in the definition and construction of a museum for photography. Louise graduated from the Copenhagen School of Architecture in January 2006, and her project for the International VELUX Award is her final thesis.

- The IVA theme 'Light of Tomorrow' translates directly to my own research in the phenomenology and perception of light and sight. To design a museum for photography is to create the optimum conditions for seeing. To see not only the photography but also to make the spectator aware of what he sees and the conditions in which he is seeing, says Louise Groenlund about her project.

Second and third prizes to Spain and the UK
Runner-up is 26-year-old Gonzalo Pardo Diaz from Madrid, Spain, who has already won several international and national architectural awards. His project 'A place for reading' represents a three-dimensional network – not a building but a working table, a space under construction made up of fragments, incomplete, like a forest.

Third prize goes to 25-year-old Anastasia Karandinou, originally from Athens, Greece, and now studying in Scotland and representing the UK for her project 'Light Invisible Bridges'. The award theme 'Light of Tomorrow' challenged Anastasia to combine her theoretical knowledge of the qualities of light and her practical research in the city of Shanghai.

Apart from the three winners, the jury awards 17 honourable mentions to students from nine countries. Please find detailed information about all winners and their projects in the enclosed fact sheets.

Light of tomorrow in global perspective
Since its foundation in 1942, VELUX has always had a strong wish to facilitate the debate on natural daylight and fresh air in architecture to secure the relevancy of the company's products. Massimo Buccilli, VELUX representative on the jury, explains:

- The International VELUX Award is an important element in the continuous dialogue with the architectural profession – a dialogue we have pursued since VELUX was founded in 1942. As an international manufacturer of roof windows and associated products, our business is closely related to building design with particular focus on daylight and fresh air. We would like to thank all participating students, their teachers and their schools for participating in the Award as well as the dedicated and skilful jury.

The International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture takes place every second year, next time in 2008.

Photos of the winners are available on Velux