XAVEER DE GEYTER WINS BIGMAT INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE AWARD’2021

Paris, November 12th, 2021

The Melopee School, completed in 2020 by the Belgian architect, follows the Power Plant for the “FOZ TUA” DAM by Souto de Moura, the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais art center by Lacaton&Vassal, the office building by Alberto Campo Baeza and the Elishout kitchen tower by Xaveer De Geyter as Grand Prize of the biannual award. The fifth edition of the BigMat International Architecture Award rewards European architecture with one Grand Prize (30.000€), six National Prizes (5.000€ each prize), seven Finalist Prizes (1.500€ each prize), and one Special Mention for Small-Scale Projects (1.500€ prize).

BigMat International Architecture Award’21 ceremony at Pavillon Cambon, Paris © BigMat

 

The awards ceremony took place on November 12th, at the Pavillon Cambon in Paris, France, in the presence of the architects competing for the Grand Prize, the members of the international panel of judges and the companies making up the BigMat Group. The selected 14 finalists were chosen from the initial selection of 90 participating teams of architects disclosed last July.

Out of a list of more than 1000 projects from 7 European countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Slovakia, Portugal and Spain), the panel of judges chaired by Jesús Aparicio and comprising Adrien Verschuere (Belgium), Pavol Paňák (Czech Republic + Slovakia), Alexandre Theriot (France), Nicola di Battista (Italy), Inês Lobo (Portugal + Spain), and awards secretary Jesús Donaire, decided to give the BigMat International Architecture Award’21 to the Melopee School in Ghent, by Belgian architect XDGA – Xaveer De Geyter Architects.

Melopee School by XDGA – Xaveer De Geyter Architects @ Maxime Delvaux

 

Jesús Aparicio, Eduardo Souto de Moura and Claude Coutant. BigMat International Architecture Award’19 Ceremony © BigMat

 

The project by the award-winning architect aims “to offer a notion of centrality to the linear plan developed by O.M.A. in which green open pockets alternate with dense construction […]. In order to counter the lack of space, deal with the inside-outside complexity of programs and allow for the public path to pass, the maximum building envelope is divided in two halves: one compact building housing all interior functions, and an outside space […]. In between both, and under a first level playground realized in glass tiles, the path crosses the volume. A galvanized steel skeleton unifies the two halves. On the side of the interior volume, the façades of the building are designed as a patchwork of opaque and translucent polycarbonate, glass, and aluminium louvres. The outside structure will be overgrown with vegetation climbing along a steel mesh […]”

Melopee School by XDGA – Xaveer De Geyter Architects @ Maxime Delvaux

 

Melopee School by XDGA – Xaveer De Geyter Architects @ Maxime Delvaux

 

Xaveer De Geyter. BigMat International Architecture Award’21 Ceremony © BigMat

 

Melopee School by XDGA – Xaveer De Geyter Architects @ Maxime Delvaux

 

The whole of the winning projects are listed below :

BigMat International Architecture Award Grand Prize’21 (30,000 euros)

Melopee School in Ghent, Belgium, by XDGA – Xaveer De Geyter Architects

© Maxime Delvaux

 

© Maxime Delvaux

 

BigMat National Prize in Czech Republic’21 (5,000 euros)

Prague Eyes in Prague, Czech Republic, by Petr Janda / Brainwork

© Petr Janda / Brainwork

 

BigMat National Prize in the France’21 (5,000 euros)

Kervalet in Saint Avé, Brittany, France, by Exercice

© Exercice

 

BigMat National Prize in Italy’21 (5,000 euros)

Pirelli Learning Center in Milano, Italy, by Onsitestudio srl

© Filippo Romano, Helene Binet

 

BigMat National Prize in Portugal’21 (5,000 euros)

Lisbon Cruise Terminal in Lisbon, Portugal, by Carrilho da Graça Arquitectos

© Fernando Guerra, Rita Burmester, Fábio Azevedo

 

BigMat National Prize in Slovakia’21 (5,000 euros)

New Synagogue in Zilina, Slovakia, by PLURAL

© Daniela Dostálková, Katherine Thude

 

BigMat National Prize in Spain’21 (5,000 euros)
BigMat Special Mention for Smale-Scale Projects’21 (1,500 euros)

Casa o Fieiro in Mazaricos, A Coruña, Spain, by Estudio Arturo Franco

© Alfonso Quiroga

 

BigMat International Architecture Award’21 ceremony at Pavillon Cambon, Paris © BigMat

 

BigMat International Architecture Award’21 ceremony at Pavillon Cambon, Paris © BigMat

Read more about the BigMat International Architecture Award’21 and the Prize-Winners in our web www.architectureaward.bigmat.com

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