The UIA awards a variety of professional awards - including its Gold Medal - every three years, in conjunction with the next congress. This year, the congress of the members of the union will be held in Tokyo, where prizes will be awarded to honor architects for their "creativity and professional activity in the service of man and society." All "personalized" awards are named in honor of the former presidents of the UIA, who made a significant contribution to the development of the union.
The 2011 Gold Medal was awarded to Alvaro Siza, nominated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), who in 2009 presented him with its own - a similar - award. Siza is also a recipient of the Pritzker Prize, the Alvar Aalto Medal and the Mies van der Rohe Prize, therefore more than meets the main condition for receiving the main award of the ISA - to be the owner of at least one major international award. The jury of the union noted the recognition and, at the same time, the originality of each of its buildings: Siz's individual style cannot be copied, but at the same time his works, alien to fashion trends, serve as a model for young architects.
The Auguste Perret Prize, awarded for the use of new technologies in architecture, was awarded to Shigeru Ban (nominated by the Japanese Institute of Architects). According to the jury, he does not forget about aesthetics and functionality, both working for wealthy customers and creating structures from membranes and cardboard pipes for victims of natural disasters.
Russian urban architect V. F. Nazarov (CAP nomination) received the Sir Patrick Abercrombie Award for achievements in urban planning and territorial development. He was noted for his work on the general plans of St. Petersburg, preserving the cultural and historical traditions of the city; the 2005 master plan, created under his leadership, also takes into account the principles of sustainable development.
The Jean Chumi Award for architectural criticism and / or teaching was shared by the English historian and theorist of architecture Kenneth Frampton (nominated by the American Institute of Architects and CAP), also distinguished for 45 years of teaching, and the Mexican researcher Luisa Noelle Gras (nominated by the Mexican Federation of Architects FCARM), who is equally successful in architecture studies and teaching.
The "Vasilis Sgutas Prize" for effective architectural assistance to the poor was awarded in two categories. The personal award went to Fabrizio Carola (nominated by the Italian section of the UIA), who has dedicated his life to humanitarian work in African countries, where he designs traditional structures from local materials. The jury awarded “Special Mentions” to architect Francis Kere (RIBA nomination), known for his “green” buildings in his native Burkina Faso and neighboring Mali, and Russian Alexander Kuptsov (CAP nomination) for the original design of a shelter for the homeless made of recyclable materials.
The collective award went to the Mexican organization Espacio Maximo Costo Minimo (FCARM nomination) for its work in low-cost housing in poorer areas of Latin America and Mauritania, which includes experimenting with materials and educating local people in new construction technologies.
N. F.
