The panel of judges appointed to decide the winners of the 18th Edition of the Tile of Spain Awards in the Architecture, Interior Design and FDP categories decided:
Architecture category
The judges awarded first prize in the Architecture category to the project Santa Creu & Sant Pau Hospital Research Centre in Barcelona by PICHarchitects_Pich-Aguilera & 2BMFG Arquitectes.
The jury highlighted the innovative use of a ceramic material and the context in which it was used, with its capacity to blend into part of the surroundings. The façade is a permeable ceramic envelope that guarantees visual links between indoors and out, with a chameleonic outer appearance.
The project entitled Courtyard of the Brave & the New Parents’ Room by Elisa Valero received a special mention.
The jury commended the surprising application that was given to a widespread common ceramic material by playing around with it and retransforming a small octagonal section of building. Local references, through a use of specific materials and shapes, are the keys to a project designed with ingenuity and economy of means.
A second special mention in the Architecture category was also awarded to the project Edificio Tivoli by Martin Lejarraga.
The jury praised the contrasts that were used in the building’s refurbishment, taking advantage of ceramic materials to reinforce the sense of interplay between the existing building and the new one. Colour and geometry act as a linking thread, signalling the refurbishment work done to the interiors and exteriors of the building.
Interior Design category
The judges decided to award first prize in the Interior Design category to a project for the waiting areas of a bus station (Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz) by José María Sánchez García.
The jury applauded the elegance with which this project was brought to fruition through the design of a ceramic material. The keys to this project are geometrical shapes, attention to detail, construction and space, taken into account on both the smallest of scales and in terms of user experiences.
The judges decided to award two special mentionn in the Interior Design category to:
Vallirana 47 by Vora Arquitectura.
The jury highlighted the way the project acted as a palimpsest, adding a further layer to a 20-year-old property and playing with the colour and material aspect of the different tiled floors. Interplay with geometrical shapes and the contrast with the new layout play a silent starring role in this delicate design project.
Camper Paseo de Gràcia by KKAA (Kengo Kuma / Javier Villar Ruiz).
The jury was struck by the versatility of a ceramic material used as a star feature in a store, with a dual function as a display for products with a strong decorative impact.
Final Degree Project category
In the Final Degree Project category the panel of judges reviewed the entries and decided to award first prize in the Final Degree Project category to “Memento Mori. The Presence of an Absence” by Óscar Cruz García from Madrid School of Architecture (ETSAM).
The jury highlighted the maturity and sensitivity of a project that was thoroughly illustrated and deeply felt. Attention to detail is the leitmotif of a sequence of spaces where nature, materials and atmospherics are all combined.
The judges awarded two special mentions to
“Dance school” by Alexey Agarkov from Moscow Architecture School (MARCH School)
Praise was given to the project’s capacity to generate atmospheres and spaces conspicuous for their beauty and amazing simplicity. Ceramic materials are used to contribute to the spaces’ architectural forms and to the quality of the light and materials.
“Barcelona Fabrica” by Felipe Sancho Cervera from the ETSAB.
The jury admired how a simple ceramic material was used to create intermediate spaces of huge complexity and spatial value. By making tiny modifications to the material’s geometry, position, colour and direction, added environmental value is brought to outdoor, intermediate and indoor spaces.