Two Australian architecture firms awarded at the World Architecture Festival.
November 11th, 2009
A disappearing sports centre and a Klein Bottle-inspired beach house have been named as award winners at the prestigious World Architecture Festival Awards this year.
Making this year’s awards more memorable than ever were the Australian architects who designed the two entries, Allan Jack + Cottier and McBride Charles Ryan.
The Berry Sports Hall (pictured here), designed by Allan Jack + Cottier, is a sustainable multi-purpose hall for children’s sports activities, combining simplicity with delightful creative flare.
The hall is designed with two long sides of pre-cast concrete panels, each pierced by 500 shards of glass in amoeba-shaped windows.
This allows natural light to flood inside during the day and interior lights to shine out at night, an effect which simulates a starry night sky, so that the building effectively disappears at night.
Inspired by the long-stretching Australian sky, the hall tapped in to the theme of this year’s festival which was “less is more”, urging designers to get more creative alongside the costs.
Designed by McBride Charles Ryan, the Klein Bottle House is a distorted shape encompassing many edges and entry points.
The designers were attracted to the idea of the origami version of the Klein Bottle (a mathematical object), and created an inspired design out of concrete sheet and metal frame.
The floor, wall and ceiling are merged from the inside and outside by complex surfaces, making the building a unique rendition and reflection of our technological age.
The World Architecture Festival was held in Barcelona, Spain, 4 – 6 November, with 11 Australians shortlisted for the Festival Awards, out of 800 entrants from 63 countries.
World Architecture Festival
worldarchitecturefestival.com
Allan Jack + Cottier
architectsajc.com
McBride Charles Ryan
mcbridecharlesryan.com.au
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Renowned designer Mac Stopa’s latest creation, the Konfurb Orbit, strikes the perfect blend of elegance and comfort. We delve into the unique features and design choices which make it all possible.
The new terminal interiors at the Hamilton Kirikiriroa Airport celebrate the beauty to be found in transition and a connection to the local identity of New Zealand.
As MillerKnoll offers a deep-dive into some of the company’s ESG initiatives with the recently released 2023 Better World Report, we take a closer look at their unwavering commitment to transformative design – and the belief that with great design comes great responsibility.
Four generations coexisting in the same space isn’t an experience just reserved for the annual family reunion: the office is another arena where the age range can span upwards of 50 years.
Have you ever seen such a joyous gathering of costumery, colour and diversity – in all its forms? Relive the highlights from the Architects Ball during Sydney WorldPride 2023.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
As MillerKnoll offers a deep-dive into some of the company’s ESG initiatives with the recently released 2023 Better World Report, we take a closer look at their unwavering commitment to transformative design – and the belief that with great design comes great responsibility.
As the prominent and highly anticipated Darling Harbour hotel opens, we bring you the in-depth design insights from the UK interiors practice.