Sara Culture Centre wins bronze in Holcim Awards 2021
During the 6th cycle of Holcim Awards, the lead architects for carbon negative Sara Cultural Centre received bronze in the Europe competition region. This makes Robert Schmitz and Oskar Norelius the first Swedish architects to receive the award, which is the most significant international competition for sustainable design.
The decisive factor in the competition is the holistic approach to sustainability, which in the context of the Holcim Awards is based on the five pillars of Progress, People, Planet, Prosperity, and Place. The projects that address these five concerns most consistently and coherently are awarded prizes at the regional level.
“We are very happy to receive this award addressing all aspects of sustainability. Any architect who values sustainability mustn’t neglect the social aspects – the people. Sara Cultural Centre is a building for everyone. The central location, its generous glass facades and entrances in all directions together create an open and inviting meeting place,” said Robert Schmitz and Oskar Norelius, Lead Architects at White Arkitekter.
For Sara Cultural Centre, the Holcim Awards jury Europe was particularly fascinated by the innovative timber construction techniques deployed to achieve this beautiful and sustainable architectural project, which showcases the potential when working exclusively with timber. Making the material choice a question of both engineering and spatial quality was considered a powerful claim.
The fact that all the building structural elements are entirely made of wood, including the structural core and elevator shaft, makes this tower quite unique in its genre. The jury applauded the refined expression of the building, the elegance of the massing and the showcasing of the timber structure through a delicate curtain wall.
“In the context of the net zero transition, the Sara Cultural Centre is a showcase project that comes at the right time. To build such a large and complex building, incorporating all the different solutions we have developed, shows that you can do a lot by using prefabrication and standardisation – and at the same time meet individual needs. We want everyone to see how the building is constructed and how the wood is used”, said Robert Schmitz and Oskar Norelius.
The Swiss project Extending the Cycle, by baubüro in situ, was named winner of Holcim Awards in the Europe competition region. The project redefines the starting point of the design process by treating demolition as an opportunity to source construction materials.
The prizes were presented at a handover ceremony at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice, in the presence of Hashim Sarkis, the curator of the biennale and the Dean of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The Holcim Awards seeks leading projects of professionals that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural excellence. It takes place every third years and offer a total of USD 2 million in prize money and foreground projects and concepts from architecture, engineering, urban planning, materials science, construction technology, and related fields.
För mer information:
Maria Gertell, Head of Public Relations, White Arkitekter
+46 70 588 65 00
maria.gertell@white.se
Founded by Sidney White in 1951, White Arkitekter is Scandinavia’s leading architectural practice. We work with sustainable architecture, urban design, landscape, and interiors to create lasting value for current and future generations. We are an employee-owned collective of about 700 employees with a presence in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, UK, Germany, Canada, and East Africa. As architects, we have a responsibility to take action against climate change and by 2030, we aim for all our projects will be climate neutral. To that end, we have strengthened research and design skills that focus on timber technologies. Our Roadmap 2030 sets out White’s direction for how it will contribute to the transition required in society to achieve national and international climate goals, as well as our own. From relocating the Arctic city of Kiruna two miles east, to empowering women at Panzi Hospital, we put people, planet, and local economies at the forefront of design.
Connect with us to learn more: www.whitearkitekter.com or @whitearkitekter on social media.
