SANAA's 2014 Daylight Award

Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA are the recipients of the fourth Velux Stiftung Daylight Award for their design of the Rolex Learning Center EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. The award, given every 2-3 years since 2007, aims to "draw attention to the potential of daylight in building, promote technical and architectural innovation, and instigate developers, planners and specialists to consciously harness daylight to increase quality of life and energy efficiency." While eligible projects are limited to those built in Switzerland, the winning projects have an influence well beyond the geographical boundaries of the country.

In this short film by VernissageTV Sejima and Nishizawa speak from Paris about the importance of daylight in their buildings, particularly the winning project's undulating plan that is punctured by courtyards. Footage of the building shows the way daylight infuses each space, often in dramatic ways through the courtyards as well as through blinds and the use of glass-wall partitions.

An honorary award goes to Swiss architect Christian Kerez for the Schoolhouse Leutschenbach in his home city of Zürich. Visit the Swiss-Architects eMagazine for an interview (in German) with Kerez on his honorary award.