Mecanoo designed the National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts, located on a former military terrain, as an integral part of the adjacent subtropical park to have a positive social impact on the residents of Kaohsiung whose population counts almost 3 million. Inspired by the local Banyan trees with their iconic crowns, the vast, undulating structure is composed of a skin and roof, and connects an extensive range of functions.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port Passenger Clearance Building houses the customs and immigration facilities for travellers leaving and entering Hong Kong by the bridge. It is built on a new 150-hectare artificial island reclaimed from the open waters, and serves as a gateway for all those passing through it, providing Hong Kong with a new ‘front door’ celebrating travel and surrounded by water with views to a natural skyline of evergreen mountains and hills.
Restoring one of the most influential and significant buildings by Sir John Soane is no light undertaking. Jestico + Whiles working in collaboration with Julian Harrap Architects have transformed the Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery in Ealing back to the jewel that Soane designed and lived in during the early 19th Century. Having been adapted over two centuries the task of rebuilding the house was painstaking and at times forensic. With the support of Ealing Council, Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Trust and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Pitzhanger has been made accessible to the wider public, revealing Soane’s masterful architecture, his manipulation of space and light and stunning use of colour and surface decoration.
The geographical advantage of Shajing had seen it flourished into a lower end manufacturing base for Shenzhen in China over the past three decades. However, the mass construction of industrial parks not only destroyed the scenery wetland and farmland, but also brought challenges to nearby suburbs. In recent years, many residential quarters and schools were built around the industrial parks. This resulted in the intention to provide an improved environment so plans and the development of The Planting Terrace and The Experience Pavilion went ahead. Workers, residents, students and plant lovers now have a green and cultural place to enjoy.
The Rockhampton Riverside Precinct was redeveloped to provide the people of Rockhampton, in Australia, with a world-class civic and recreation space that celebrates the city’s unique character. The long and linear site consists of nearly 19 hectares of parkland spanning from Fitzroy Bridge to the north and the new playground to the south. The centrepiece of the precinct is the pier building and lift structure. Drawing a direct relationship with the ‘Queenslander’ housing typology of the city, the large overhanging roof provides refuge from the sun while the large wrap around balcony with floor to ceiling glass walls provides uninterrupted, sweeping views of the natural landscape, waterplay park and landscaped gardens.
The new Statue of Liberty Museum is the most substantial development to break ground on Liberty Island since 1886 when the national monument first debuted. More than a century later, the new Statue of Liberty Museum officially opened on May 16, 2019 and is the crowning achievement of a $100 million beautification plan to update the entire national park. The 26,000 square foot facility introduces 15,000 square feet of new exhibition space including two large galleries and an immersive educational theatre. The project also includes a landscaped roof deck and an expansion of the park’s open-air, public plaza.
The Brisbane “Ekka” is an institution in Queensland life. The Royal National Association (RNA) annual show has a major focus on the grazing and agricultural industries and includes one of the world’s largest cattle shows, where beef and dairy cattle of many breeds are exhibited drawing visitors from around the world. The historic RNA showgrounds in the inner city are currently being redeveloped in one of the Australia’s largest urban renewal programmes. The new Large Animal Pavilion is designed not only to accommodate the annual Cattle and other large animals’ exhibition (housing up to 1,800 head of cattle), but also to provide for other major exhibitions each calendar year and further car-parking
To see more amazing entries from this year’s WAN Awards please click here.