BENGALURU, March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
- Indian Architect 'Shimul Jhaveri Kadri' Gets a Honourable Mention at the arcVision Prize 2014
- Italcementi Awards Women in Architecture, on the Company's 150th Anniversary and Also Pays Tribute to Lina Bo Bardi on the Centenary of her Birth
Ines Lobo is the winner of the 2014 arcVision Prize - Women and Architecture, an international architecture award for female designers instituted by the Italcementi Group and now in its second year. The jury unanimously selected Lobo as a versatile architect, recognized for her ability to work at different scales, integrating new buildings within existing urban fabric and creatively attacking complex architectural problems.
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Ms. Lobo was enthusiastically chosen by the jury, whose members this year were Suhasini Maniratnam (an Indian actress, producer and writer deeply involved in community service), Samia Nkrumah (born in Ghana, president of the Kwame Nkrumah Pan-African Center), Martha Thorne (born in the USA, director of the Pritzker Prize), Shaikha Al Maskari (an Abu Dhabi businesswoman and member of the board of the Arab International Women's Forum-AIWF), Odile Decq (owner of the Odile Decq firm in Paris), Vera Baboun (Mayor of Bethlehem), Louisa Hutton (English founding partner of the Sauerbruch Hutton architectural practice), Kazuyo Sejima (owner with Ryue Nishizawa of the SANAA architectural practice in Tokyo), Benedetta Tagliabue (founding partner with Enric Miralles of the EMBT architectural firm in Barcelona) and Elena Zambon (chairman of the Italian pharmaceuticals company Zambon S.p.A.).
The arcVision Prize - an initiative inspired by the Italcementi entrepreneurial vision - recognizes the innovation and sustainability of the projects and constructions presented, with a special focus on the standards of technological innovation, environmental quality, cost-effective use of resources, social responsibility, functional and aesthetic research.
"New design concepts, different approaches to materials and construction processes, conservation of the natural environment, care for local social and cultural values. Narrated through the professional experience of female designers from all over the world, who have brought techniques, aesthetic sensitivities and different colors from all over the world," said Italcementi CEO Carlo Pesenti. "With this award, we want to highlight the female vision of architecture as it changes and molds itself to today's new social and human models."
The prize winner was announced on March 7, 2014 in Bergamo at i.lab, the Italcementi research and innovation center designed by Richard Meier, a building which itself integrates leading construction solutions and technologies. Twenty-one designers were short-listed for the prize, from 15 countries: Austria, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, India, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, USA.
The prize is a two-week research workshop at i.lab, the Italcementi Group R&D Center in Bergamo, and an amount of €50,000, part of which may be devolved to social projects, at the discretion of the winner. On completion of the workshop, the winner will recount her experience in a lecture delivered at i.lab, during Milan Design Week, as part of the series of Italcementi Group 'Millennium' meetings with the world of architecture.
Ines Lobo, a graduate of the Technical University of Lisbon (FAULT, 1989) established her own architecture office in 2002. She combines professional practice with teaching at the Autonoma University in Lisbon. In her architecture, building conversion plays an important role, giving her an opportunity to free herself from the pre-constituted models of classic Modernism. Among her outstanding projects, many of which are in the public realm and located in Portugal, is the Art and Architecture Faculty in Evora, where annexes were substituted with new construction and the courtyard newly configured. Taking inspiration from the existing industrial architecture and its systems, she defined strategies to employ in the new construction, yet her work is clearly contemporary - informed by the past, but looking toward the future. Using translucent material to manage the light entering the new building, she creates an interesting façade that changes throughout the hours of day and night. The jury spoke of the rich counterpoint that she establishes between existing buildings and the new additions she creates. The jury highlighted the integrity and authenticity of her works. Her buildings reflect her independent and free approach to architecture, as creator of social spaces.
When we telephoned the winner, she said, "It's such a surprise! I am really surprised. I would like to elaborate, but it's not easy. It's really an important prize, with such an international vision, and also because it's underline that it's still difficult to be a woman architect. I am also very pleased to receive this award on occasion of the celebration for the 100 years since the birth of architect Bo Bardi, since one century ago it was even more difficult for women. But I would like to dedicate this prize - if you allow me- to all the people that make me to believe that architecture it's a powerful way to build a better world for everybody, not matter if women or men."
The jury, whose meetings were coordinated by the Scientific Director of the Prize, Stefano Casciani, also awarded Special Mentions to Indian Shimul Jhaveri Kadri, Swiss Anna Heringer, Germany and Chilean Cecilia Puga.
Shimul Jhaveri Kadri distinguishes herself for an eclectic language, ranging from citations from the Indian tradition (such as the terracotta used on the roof of a factory in Karur) to the elegant modernism of the offices for Nirvana Film, one of her best-known projects. This "flexible inspiration" enables Kadri to develop work environments that are both innovative and comfortable, balancing the needs of the company with those of the workers.
Anna Heringer's vision focuses on the social and cultural responsibility of architecture, which she also sees as a tool to raise users' awareness of their right to quality of life through the quality of buildings. Her most significant projects in this sense are the Training Center in Rudrapur, Bangladesh, where she experiments with "poor" techniques and intelligent solutions for integrated sustainability, and a small hospitality project in China: two hostels for young men and women and a guest-house, where she re-formulates local construction techniques (stone and earth bricks) in traditional shapes, re-interpreted through her use of color and light.
Cecilia Puga is the first South American (not Brazilian) designer nominated for the arcVision Prize, Puga represents Chile, one of the geopolitical areas of greatest interest with its new generation of architects who have developed separately from the international mainstream. Puga is more interested in structural solutions that give buildings greater freedom and flexibility, than in surface aesthetics. One of her first works, the Bahia Azul holiday home, draws on a poetic and humorous inspiration with its play of inverted volumes.
The aim of the arcVision prize is to enhance the figure of the female designer in contemporary world architecture, with a special focus on the qualities a modern architect requires to develop originality in her profession as she pursues advanced, non-conventional solutions and develops a particularly strong and mature sensitivity to the human and social context. The finalists were selected from a group of professionals indicated by advisors and then assessed by a technicalcultural commission, who drew up a short-list for presentation to the international Jury.
The nominees for the prize were required to have designed at least one constructed work presenting innovative functional and technological solutions and values, with particular attention to sustainability, and to be the designer/co-designer of the projects submitted for the prize.
Italcementi Awards Also Pay Tribute to Lina Bo Bardi on the Centenary of her Birth
During the ceremony, arcVision prize commemorated two anniversaries falling in 2014: the centenary of the birth of architect Lina Bo Bardi, a fascinating woman and outstanding figure in 20th-century architecture, and the 150th anniversary of Italcementi.
A designer, the creator of remarkably imposing structures, as a woman in a man's world, Lina Bo Bardi developed her own exclusive architectural poetic, where rugged materials like reinforced concrete are endowed with grace and a lightness of touch, and severe, ponderous forms 'collide' harmoniously with nature.
An exceptional model of female creativity and energy and, above all, an outstanding example of deep, authentic humanity.
The prize was accepted by Anna Carboncini of the Lina Bo and Pietro Maria Bardi Institute in São Paulo, who said: "We are honored and delighted that this award opens the centenary year of the birth of Lina Bo Bardi, the creator of iconic works with deep roots in the culture of her adopted country, Brazil. It is a reflection of the international recognition achieved not only by her work, but also by her beliefs, her philosophy. Having come from Italy, she developed a deep understanding of the Brazilian people, whom she adopted, recognizing their spontaneous cultural values; her works are part of the urban and social fabric, free from formal pretensions, and her architectural values have stood the test of time."
The special prize was introduced by a lecture delivered by architect Carmen Andriani, university professor and writer, who described the architectural career of the Italo-Brazilian designer.
About Zuari Cement:
Zuari Cement is part of the worldwide Italcementi Group, the fifth largest cement producer in the world. Zuari Cement has a total cement manufacturing capacity of 6.2 million tons in India, which includes two manufacturing units at Sitapuram and Yerraguntla, along with a grinding centre at Chennai. Zuari cement is developing a project of 3 million ton per year cement plant in North Karnataka and a large grinding unit is also being erected at Sholapur in Maharashtra. A cement terminal is being developed at Kochi, Kerala.
A captive power plant at Sitapuram with a capacity of 43 MW augments the power capabilities of the company. In line with Groups' global focus on quality and environment, Zuari Cement's manufacturing units are ISO 50001:2011, ISO: 9001 and ISO: 14001 certified. With over 5% market share in the South Indian cement market and sales of over 249 million Euros in 2012, Zuari Cement has chalked out ambitious plans for the future. This includes strengthening its presence in Maharashtra, Orissa, W. Bengal and North East markets.
Zuari Cement has been adjudged as 'Outstanding Company' in Cement sector, at the 4th EPC World Awards 2013, winning this unique recognition earlier in 2011 as well. Zuari Cement has been recognised as a 'Power Brand' for the second consecutive year in 2013, after a survey conducted by ICMR among consumers across India. Earlier in 2011 awarded 'Master Brand' by the CMO council Asia.
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