29 Nov 2018
Leisure buildings win big on second day of World Architecture Festival Awards
BY Andrew Manns
The second day of the World Architecture Festival Awards (WAF) saw a number of restaurants, hotels, and cultural spaces celebrated in multiple categories.
In the Culture Future Projects category, Studio 44’s Museum of the Defence and Siege of Leningrad took the top prize. Created to commemorate the Siege of Leningrad, arguably one of the most violent episodes of WWII, the building features an in-depth 'Chamber of Diaries' which narrates the harrowing experiences of veterans and their families.
The Hotel category was won by Netherlands-based SeARCH architecture, for their resort, Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam. Featuring a community-focused, subtropical garden, the structure – as described by SeARCH – "symbolises Amsterdam’s historic maritime connection" and is designed to evoke the feeling of a "second living room".
To create the green space, the firm collaborated with Hortus Botanicus and the Royal Tropical Institute.
The Bars and Restaurants category was won by Dutch studio Concrete for their innovative interiors for the entrance cafe to the Harrison Urby residential complex in New Jersey. Taking inspiration from lounges and hotel lobbies, the space is operated by 9 Bar Cafe.
The awards ceremony, which closed the second day of the festival, was kicked off by Sir David Adjaye who spoke about the role of identity and storytelling in contemporary architecture.
Close Window