The future of architecture on stage. The German Design Council presented the winners of the ICONIC AWARDS 2024: Innovative Architecture on 8 October 2024 at BMW Welt Munich. The internationally established award highlights important developments in the architecture industry and attracts leading architecture firms, young designers and manufacturers. This year, 55 outstanding projects received the highest recognition as ‘Best of Best’. The award winners, including renowned architecture firms such as Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, Hadi Teherani and Pedevilla Architects, impressively demonstrate the areas of tension in which the architecture industry is currently operating. The focus of many projects is on balance: Between preservation and development in existing buildings. In the case of wood, which keeps growing in importance, it is the balance between the increasing experimental use of timber construction methods and the creative use of traditional materials.
New perspectives for wood as a building material
Technical innovations, increased focus on sustainability: Timber construction is undergoing both a renaissance and a transformation. While timber has often been used as a mono-material in the past, it is now increasingly being utilised in hybrid constructions with concrete to take advantage of both material properties. The Hotel Bergeblick project by Beham Architekten is a prime example of how this renewable building material can be cleverly used in both new build and refurbishment projects.
Nestled in the picturesque foothills of the Bavarian Alps, the architects have created a visionary hotel. The delicate wooden skeleton of the building is inspired by the neighbouring urban forest and symbolically echoes its structure. This construction of vertical and horizontal wooden struts creates the hotel's characteristic open structure. Sebastian Beham and his team deliberately chose a hybrid construction method: The concrete ceilings provide sound insulation and fire protection on the inside. Prefabricated timber frame elements and precast concrete slabs were used in the guest wings, significantly reducing the construction time.
The choice of wood was a key factor: Beham opted for spruce. A cheap, local material, but not known for its durability. To change this, it was made water resistant using various techniques, including protecting the joints in the wood matrix, which are particularly susceptible to moisture, with a PU sealant. In this way, Beham Architekten were able to dispense with energy-intensive metal cladding.
Historic on the outside, expressive on the inside: architecture between preservation and renewal
The interplay between preservation and progress characterises construction today. Especially when building within existing structures. Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos shows how these parameters can be combined through sensitive interventions with the "Blockhaus" in Dresden.
The archive building, built in 1732, does not reveal its remarkable transformation from the outside. The Blockhaus on the banks of the River Elbe retains its Baroque splendour, while the interior surprises with clear, geometric forms: While the finely detailed façade has been retained, the Spanish-German architects have created an almost radical minimalism inside. The centrepiece is a spectacular cube that seems to float above the exhibition space. The architecturally unique space offers flexible possibilities for research, exhibition and discussion, and will be home to the avant-garde collection. “Is there a better way to celebrate the avant-garde than to take the shell of a building and create something entirely new inside? Neglecting the heritage of a historic building is often the wrong choice. But in this case, it makes a lot of sense,” said the jury, which awarded the project the 'Best of Best' accolade.
Further information:
- Press information and image material can be found here
- A comprehensive overview of all winning projects is available in the online gallery
ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Architecture
An award for the whole world of architecture.
With the ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Architecture, the German Design Council has established an international architecture and design competition that, for the first time, recognises the disciplines in their entirety. Prizes are awarded for visionary urban planning and architecture, innovative products from the interior sector and building technology as well as communication concepts from all areas of architecture, the construction and property sector and the manufacturing industry. The focus is on the holistic interaction of the trades in the context of architecture. Every year, the award highlights significant developments in the architecture sector and attracts leading architecture firms, young designers and manufacturers to its award ceremony.
About the German Design Council
The German Design Council Foundation brings together leading representatives from business with design experts from industry and research to implement design as a lever for transformation and economic success. With a focus on circular design, the foundation harnesses the potential of the design discipline for a sustainable future in business and society. Through competitions, conferences, exhibitions, consulting services, and studies, the German Design Council promotes awareness of the impact and value of design.
The foundation was established in 1953 by a resolution of the German Bundestag and funded by German industry. And this has been the case since 1953, when the German Design Council was founded by resolution of the German Bundestag. Today, over 330 of the most important German companies are among the founders of the German Design Council.
Contact
German Design Council
Alexandra Sender, Head of Communication and Marketing
Phone +49 (0) 69 24 74 48 633
E-mail: presse@gdc.de
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