BigMat ’15 International Architecture Awards

The BigMat Group started the award to reward "excellence in architecture" and foster a "dialogue between the different figures participating in the architecture sector for the benefit of high-quality construction." For the second edition, they received approximately 750 projects from the 6 participating countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain). That list was shortened to 100 projects, and in June it was shortened again to 18 buildings (3 from each country) from which the jury (Olivier Bastin, Martin Rajnis, Henri Ciriani, Francesco Dal Co, Manuel Aires Mateus, Antonio Ortiz, and Awards Secretary, Jesús Donaire) selected the Grand Prize.

In giving the 30,000 euro Grand Prize to the office building for Junta Castilla León in Zamora, Spain by Estudio Arquitectura Campo Baeza, the jury commended "the correctness of the attitude adopted in order to solve a modern-day program, having been able to combine very wisely the contemporary nature of the building with a respectful understanding of its existing surroundings." 

The glass-walled office building sits within a "secret garden" defined by high stone walls made from the same stone as the Zamora Cathedral. Alberto Campo Baeza, who designed the building in collaboration with Pablo Fernández Lorenzo, Pablo Redondo Díez, Alfonso González Gaisán and Francisco Blanco Velasco, describes it as "a stone box open to the sky that holds a crystalline box and protects it and tempers it, immersed in the midst of a wonderful garden."

While the office building in Zamora was the winner of the National Prize for Spain, here are the other winners of the other 5,000 euro National Prizes:

BELGIUM
- KAU Gymnasium in Court Saint Étienne, Belgium, by URA Architects
CZECH REPUBLIC
- Facilities for a Biotope in Honětice, Czech Republic by Prokš Přikryl architekti
FRANCE
The Ring of Remembrance in Notre-Dame de Lorette, France, by the Agence d’Architecture Philippe Prost
ITALY
La Pedevilla Pliscia 13 in Enneberg, Italy, by Pedevilla Architects
PORTUGAL
Casa Da Severa in Lisbon, Portugal, by José Adrião Arquitectos

The below twelve projects received 1,500 euro BigMat ’15 Prizes as runners-up in the competition:

BELGIUM
- Liège Theatre, Liège, by Atelier d’architecture Pierre Hebbelinck et Pierre de Wit
- Water Tower construction, Ghlin, by V+ / Vers plus de bien-être
CZECH REPUBLIC
- Centre for Renovation of 20th Century Architectural Heritage, Brno by ARCHTEAM
- Revitalization of the “Maxipes Fík” Riverbank, Kadaň, by Projektil Architekti
FRANCE
- Euravenir Tower, Lille, by LAN Architecture
- Dialogue between Matter and Landscape, in Nozay, by a+ samueldelmas architectes urbanistes
ITALY
- Faber Headquarters, Cividale Del Friuli, by GEZA Gri e Zucchi Architetti Associati
- Technopole for Industrial Research: Shed 19 of Ex “Officine Reggiane” industrial area, Reggio Emilia, by Andrea Oliva Architetto – Studio Cittarchitettura
PORTUGAL
- House in São Francisco da Serra, São Francisco Da Serra, by Giorgio Santagostino and Monica Margarido
- The Dovecote, Braga, by AZO Sequeira Arquitectos Associados
SPAIN
- Sotogrande Sailing School, Sotogrande, Cádiz, by Héctor Fernández Elorza + Carlos García Fernández
- Public Space, “La Lira” Theatre, Ripoll, Girona, by RCR arquitectes

Lastly, among the 18 projects eligible for the final prize, the BigMat ’15 Special Mention for Young Architects was awarded to the Dialogue between Matter and Landscape in Nozay, France, by a+ samueldelmas architectes urbanistes.