The international biannual Brick Award, created in 2004 by wienerberger to promote innovation and excellence in brick architecture, was held in Vienna for the 11th time. With a total of 743 entries from 54 countries, this year’s iteration once again showcased the relevance and innovative potential of brick architecture around the globe.
From the pre-selected 50 nominees, the jury chose winning projects in five categories — “Feeling at home,” “Living together,” “Working together,” “Sharing public spaces,” and “Building outside the box” — and an overall grand prize winner, based on criteria such as aesthetics, sustainability, and innovation.
“Today, architects face several major challenges at once,” says Heimo Scheuch, CEO of wienerberger. “They must create spaces that both reduce our impact on the planet and protect us from the effects of climate change, while also making homes more affordable as the costs of living have surged over the last years. To find answers, extraordinary architects explore new ways to utilize material and structure, as this year’s Brick Award winners demonstrate.
“Their projects, apart from their aesthetic and structural qualities, are physical manifestations of exactly the kind of innovative spirit that today’s challenges require. From saving resources to building into existing environments, these creative minds found solutions by tapping into the still vast potential of brick. We are proud to honor and support these pioneers.”
From living quarters to art installations: Winners showcase the potential of brick architecture
The award is endowed with a total of €27,000 prize money — €7,000 for the grand prize winner and €5,000 each for the other four category winners.
The grand prize went to the British studio Níall McLaughlin Architects and their project “International Rugby Experience,” an exhibition and events center in Limerick dedicated to the sport of rugby, in the Brick Award category “Sharing public spaces.” Its design takes inspiration from Limerick’s famous churches while still upholding a modern aesthetic, allowing the building to fit within the environment while at the same time enhancing it aesthetically.
The category “Feeling at home” was won by Paraguayan studio Equipo de Arquitectura, whose “Intermediate House” uses compressed soil blocks, allowing for low-emission temperature control.
The prize for “Living together,” the category for multi-party housing, went to the Argentinian team of Estudio Arqtipo for achieving a combination of 10 living units on a narrow corner lot while giving every unit a private outdoor space.
In the category “Working together,” two collaborating Irish studios — Grafton Architects and O’Mahony Pike Architects — came out first with their new office headquarters for the Electricity Supply Board of Ireland, which succeeded in bridging modern building standards with Dublin’s historic aesthetic.
The prize for “Building outside the box” went to a joint project between the studios HANGHAR from Spain and PALMA from Mexico. For an architecture and design festival, they built a temporary artistic brick construction titled “Types of Spaces” in a narrow passageway in the Spanish town of Logroño, which leads visitors through several architectural styles.
The jury consisted of five internationally renowned architects:
- Christelle Avenier, France — architect and co-founder of Avenier Cornejo Architectes
- Christine Conix, Belgium — architect and co-founder of Conix RDBM Architects
- Ingrid van der Heijden, Netherlands — architect and co-founder of CIVIC architects
- Wojciech Malecki, Poland — architect and founder of Maleccy biuro projektowe
- Boonserm Premthada, Thailand — architect and founder of Bangkok Project Studio
The BRICK 24 Book
As in previous years, wienerberger has published a book entitled “BRICK 24,” which accompanies the architectural competition. It features the 50 shortlisted projects, including the winners. Five essays by international authors complete this overview of contemporary brick architecture. The book puts the spotlight on clay building materials, which are timeless and a perfect fit for forward-looking and innovative architecture. “BRICK 24” is published in cooperation with Park Books.
All information regarding the projects, as well as photos available for download, can be found at www.wienerberger.com.
wienerberger
wienerberger is a leading international provider of innovative, ecological solutions for the entire building envelope, in the fields of new buildings and renovations, as well as infrastructure in water and energy management. With more than 20,000 employees worldwide, wienerberger’s solutions enable energy-efficient, healthy, climate-friendly, and affordable living. wienerberger is the world’s largest producer of bricks and the market leader in clay roof tiles in Europe as well as concrete pavers in Eastern Europe. In pipe systems (ceramic and plastic pipes), the company is one of the leading suppliers in Europe. By acquiring Meridian Brick, wienerberger further strengthened its position as a leading supplier of facade products in North America. With its more than 200 production sites, wienerberger generated revenues of approx. € 4.2 billion and an operating EBITDA of € 811 million in 2023.
SOURCE wienerberger
