2003 DUPONT BENEDICTUS AWARDS

INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR THE USE OF ARCHITECTURAL LAMINATED GLASS

Created by DuPont de Nemours, this annual architectural awards programme rewards the authors of outstanding and innovative architectural design using laminated glass as a major element of the project.

DuPont produces the Butacite® polyvinyl butyral (PVB), which is used as the interlayer in laminated safety glass. The DuPont Benedictus Awards ® are names after Edouard Benedictus, a Frenchman, who invented the technique of laminating glass at the beginning of the 20th century.

Launched for the first time, during the UIA Congress in Chicago, in 1993, this awards programme is fully supported by the International Union of Architects (UIA). It is organised under the auspices of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

JURY

The international jury for the 2003 session of the Awards, composed of Santiago Calatrava (Switzerland and Spain), Lewis Koerner (Italy), Julie Snow (USA)and Sylvester Damianos (USA), examined 150 submissions from throughout the world, from which it selected 12 winning projects.

POLA ART MUSEUM IN JAPAN WINS BENEDICTUS 2003 GRAND PRIZE

The results of the 11th session of the Awards programme, were announced on 8 May 2003, on the occasion of the AIA Expo in San Diego, California, USA.

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This year's grand prize was awarded to Koichi Yasuda, Ken Kannari and Masao Nishioka, architects with the Nikken Sekkei firm in Tokyo, for the Pola Museum of Art in the Hakone-Machi forest, in Kanagawa, Japan.

Speaking of this project, Lewis Koerner (Italy) said :

« This project is really sensual. It's built in the middle of a forest, a five-storey structure with only half a storey above ground. The atrium showers visitors with light and brings natural light to all the circulation areas. It permeates the space below with light. »

PRIZES

Industrial buildings category
Protective housing for the Petuel Tunnel.

Auer + Weber + Architekten, Munich, Germany.

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	Educational buildings category School for mentally handicapped children in Berlin-Hellersdorf, Germany. Armand Grüntuch and Almut Ernst architects,Berlin, Germany.
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MENTIONS

"Lens Ceiling" Special Proceedings Courtroom, Phoenix Courthouse, (USA).

Architects : Luke Lowings and James Carpenter, New York (USA).

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Cont.	Hydra Pier of Haarlemmermeer Pavilion, built for the horticultural exhibition Floriade 2002, in Haarlemmermeer (The Netherlands). Hani Rashid and Lise Ann Couture - Asymptote Architecture, New York (USA) in association with Octatube Space Structures BV, Delft (The Netherlands); Executive architect Anton Bronsvoort of Architektenburo Bronsvoort BNA, Amerongen (The Netherlands).