The Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) has announced that three buildings in Wales have received 2018 Welsh Architecture Awards, presented at a ceremony at Cornerstone, Cardiff, last night, Thursday 31 May.
From the 6 schemes shortlisted this year, the three winning buildings selected by the Jury are:
- Yr Ysgwrn, Snowdonia, by Purcell
- St David鈥檚 Hospice, New In-Patient Unit, Newport by KKE Architects
- University of Bangor Arts and Innovation Centre, Bangor by Grimshaw
The 2018 RSAW Building of the Year award was given to Yr Ysgwrn, the home of poet Hedd Wyn, near Trawsfynydd in Snowdonia, a building which had 鈥渃ast a spell on the jury鈥�, said Jury Chair Jonathan Adams, praising the delicate and complex interventions made by architects Purcell to the historic farm buildings and landscape. This highly skilled and sensitive treatment also secured the RSAW Conservation Award for Purcell and client Snowdonia National Park Authority.
Two individuals were singled out for further special awards in recognition of outstanding achievement 鈥� one a client, the other an architect. Emma Saysell of St David鈥檚 Hospice Care, Newport was named 2018 RSAW Client of the Year and Elgan Jones of Purcell won the 2018 RSAW Project Architect of the Year award.
Jonathan Adams said: 鈥淚n the best architecture you find a precious connection 鈥� an instinctively harmonious empathy between client and architect that is so much more than a straightforward architectural commission. Elgan Roberts of Purcell with Snowdonia National Park at Yr Ysgwrn, and KKE Architects with St David鈥檚 Hospice Care in Newport, demonstrated this dynamic extremely well. The respectful and stimulating relationship between talented architects and insightful clients has produced sustainable and impressive results in both cases.鈥�
Pontio, University of Bangor Arts and Innovation Centre, Bangor, the third winner of the 2018 Welsh Architecture Awards, was praised for its 鈥渃ompelling sculptural form鈥� and the way the building 鈥渉ugs the ground, despite its height鈥�. The jury admired the spectacular crevasse-like atrium, girdled by sweeping balcony ledges. Designed by Grimshaw, Pontio鈥檚 cinema, flexible theatre space, lecture rooms, bars and coffee shop offer attractive facilities for the university and local community alike. The building connects the University鈥檚 upper and lower campuses through a series of external terraces flowing into an 鈥榠nternal street鈥�. Describing the outcome, Jonathan Adams said: 鈥淎 gap that once seemed cavernous is now a pleasure to traverse鈥�.
The Welsh Architecture Awards are presented by RSAW (Royal Society of Architects in Wales) as the first stage of the UK-wide 澳门王中王 Architecture Awards (Royal Institute of British Architects). The Welsh Architecture Awards connect with the 澳门王中王 (UK) National Awards which in turn lead to the 澳门王中王 Stirling Prize for the best building of the year in 2018.
