Lucy Bullivant reports from the Venice Biennale on the future of urban planning seen through the eyes of top architects.
September 8th, 2010
Jurgen Mayer, a Berlin-based architect, has won the 100,000 euros Audi Urban Future Award, it was announced at a reception and exhibition of shortlisted designs in the Scuola Grande della Misericordia in Venice on the day the city’s Architecture Biennale opened.
The new award calls for concepts, models and designs on the theme of future urban planning.
“We are the first automotive company to address the theme of the future with such complexity”, said CEO of Audi AG, Rupert Stadler, at the award ceremony.
“Creating a city’s future requires different forms of knowledge. These are not about science fiction but are rooted in real conditions”, said globalisation expert Saskia Sassen, chairman of the jury.
The Award is part of Audi’s commitment to social responsibility and environmental issues, and the firm, which sold around 950,000 cars in 2009, has recently established the Audi Environmental Foundation.
The visions of all shortlisted firms are on display at the Scuola until 26 September: Alison Brooks Architects, London, BIG- Bjarke Ingels Group, Copenhagen, Cloud 9, Barcelona, Mayer’s practice J Mayer H, Berlin and Standardarchitecture, Beijing.
In the months leading up to the event, all the architects engaged in workshops and meetings with the Audi Think Tank, discussing future themes such as electrification, networks and new definitions of urban space.
Mayer’s exhibit showed how cities will be influenced by digital technologies.
Urban environments will increasingly feature social media, he says, with a ‘push and pull’ and ‘touch and poke’ approach to navigating its streets.
Audi Urban Future Award
audi-urban-future-award.com
Jurgen Mayer
Jurgen Mayer concept
Bjarke Ingels
BIG concept
BIG concept
Alison Brooks Architects concept
Alison Brooks
Cloud 9 concept
Enric Ruiz Geli of Cloud 9
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!
An exciting new collaboration involving Autex Acoustics, Willie Weston and Lisa Waup colourfully brings First Nations design to high-performance acoustics.
As well as considering the materials and processes used to manufacture furniture solutions, companies like Workspace are shifting their focus to the entire lifespan of products.
Journey alongside Australian designer Ross Didier as he introduces a new chapter in the magical folklore of his iconic FABLE Collection.
The Biennale of Sydney has today announced the appointment of Juliana Engberg as the Artistic Director of the 19th Biennale of Sydney (2014). ’Juliana Engberg has worked with many of the leading international artists of the last decades and has a history of curating intelligent and distinctive exhibitions and programs,’ says Marah Braye, Chief Executive […]
JEB Australiaâs office partitions specialists have recently completed a complex project for Westpacâs Perth office; in collaboration with design firm Geyer.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
The brief for the new Government Agency office in Canberra was a challenging combination of high performance and high concept. The Mill Architecture + Design turned to Milliken to bring the ambitious project to life.
Pedraliâs new headquarters is more than a dynamic, modern workplace. It is a space in which the Italian company can display its wares in the best possible light.