Malcolm Reading RIBA will join the jury for the ninth Prix W Award in April 2020. Organised by the Paris-based Wilmotte Foundation, which supports young architects in the early stages of their careers, the award encourages dialogue between architectural heritage and contemporary design.
The elegant Renaissance Château de la Tour d’Aigues in southern France is the location for this year’s challenge, with students asked to revitalise it as a new centre for wine and gastronomy.
Three prizes are on offer, with the first prize-winner receiving a grant of €8,000. Selected submissions will be exhibited at the Venice Architectural Biennale 2020.
Malcolm Reading said:
‘This is a brilliant opportunity for ambitious architecture students and recent graduates across Europe; an award that casts a spotlight on the hugely relevant challenge of re-imagining eminent existing buildings for the next century.
‘The historic château’s fantastically French brief focuses on the irresistible combination of food, wine and sustainability.’
The award is open to students and recent graduates (who graduated after 1 January 2017) from architecture schools in the UK, EU, Switzerland and Russia. Registration closes on 18 March 2020 and submissions are due by 1 April 2020.
Competitors are encouraged to re-imagine the historic château as an innovative space
for celebration and entertainment, and can choose to incorporate a range of diverse programming uses including a market, culinary school, museum, theatre, garden or hotel.
The 5,000 – 7,500 sqm design should reflect the château’s architectural (and gastronomic) heritage, whilst also considering future environmental impacts and sustainable trends in diet and agriculture. Competitors can choose to include proposed partnerships with local artisans and producers.
A qualified architect and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Malcolm is an advocate
for design excellence. His extensive experience has led him to be a current member of the Sovereign Grant Audit Committee and Chairman of the UNESCO Tower of London World Heritage Site Consultative Committee. Previously, he was a trustee of Edinburgh World Heritage and English Heritage and was on the board of Historic Royal Palaces for an unprecedented three terms.
Malcolm will be part of an international jury, made up of fellow architects, artists and journalists. The jury will assess submissions based on a range of criteria including originality, creativity, site analysis, quality of architectural graft, quality of render and clarity of submission. This is the third time Malcolm has been invited to be a jury member.
More information and guidelines for entry can be found here.
