On May 8, 2014, for the sixth time since 2004, the Wienerberger Group has awarded the international “Brick Award” for architecture. The focus of the award is brick in modern architecture. Fourteen architecture critics and journalists from around the world have nominated over 300 projects from 26 countries for the Wienerberger Brick Award 14.
“I never thought brick could be so exciting!” Said architect Bart Lens, winner of the 2012 Wienerberger Brick Award in the category “private house”, during the awards ceremony two years ago. This year the International Architecture Prize is traditionally awarded once every two years to outstanding examples of brick architecture. “The projects nominated for this year's Brick Award show once again that brick as a durable building material is not only used for facades, walls, roofs or paving, but also creates future-oriented, energy-efficient and above all modern architecture.” - says Heimo Scheuch, President of Wienerberger AG. The large number of submitted projects shows how much attention is paid to the award. More than 300 projects from 26 countries, from Spain to Afghanistan, China and Thailand have been nominated by international architecture critics and journalists - 50 of them made the shortlist. The nominees for the award are multifaceted, from brightly lit ceramic block buildings to funky brick facades to exceptional tiled roofs. Wienerberger invited the Chinese architect, winner of the Pritzker Prize, Wang Shu to the tenth anniversary Brick Award as chairman of the jury. In addition to Wang Shu, the jury includes Vera Janovsinska (Netherlands), Eva Kurilovic (Poland), and Pavel Panyak (Slovakia), winner in one of the Wienerberger Brick Award 2012 categories. Given the high quality of the objects presented, the judging was not an easy task. Finally, the jury selected five winners in their categories and one Super Prize winner. In addition to the winners of the independent jury, the Wienerberger Group has established two special prizes. The prizes with a total prize fund of 32,000 euros will be presented on 8 May 2014 at the Architectural Center Vienna.
Traditionally, the Wienerberger Group does not have the right to vote in the jury's decision, just as the use of Wienerberger products is not a selection criterion. Evaluation criteria include innovative building appearance and craftsmanship in the use and processing of bricks, as well as a focus on sustainability, functionality and energy efficiency. Pritzker Prize Winner Wang Shu on the Prize: “When we talk about brick, people think we are talking about tradition. But in this competition you can find many works with an innovative approach that give the brick a new sound and a new look. I think this is very important. Jury member Eva Kurilovich adds: “Brick is just beautiful. It is small in size and can accommodate architectural and design fantasies - impressively demonstrated in many of the Brick Award projects.” The 'Brick 14' album, as always, will present all the laureates and nominated projects in great detail: a quality edition rich in photographs and sketches published by Callwey and can be purchased from any bookstore in German-speaking countries starting in May 2014, or through Callwey online store. The Wienerberger concern is the world's largest producer of ceramic bricks (Porotherm, Terca, Penter) and the leading manufacturer of roofing tiles in Europe (Koramic), in addition, the Wienerberger concern is the leader in the production of concrete paving stones in Central and Eastern Europe (Semmelrock). Brick building materials and system solutions are safe, economical and energy efficient. The use of bricks contributes to the implementation of energy efficient concepts (passive houses, low energy and solar houses). A life cycle of over 100 years makes brick a highly valuable product. Wienerberger is the leading supplier of pipe systems in Europe (Steinzeug-Keramo ceramic pipes and Pipelife plastic pipes). In 2013, 214 factories generated a turnover of 2 663 million euros, EITDA amounted to 267 million euros.
Wienerberger Kirpich LLC, a subsidiary of Wienerberger AG, has been operating on the Russian market since 2003. Today, about 300 people work at three Wienerberger factories, the company is one of the largest manufacturers of ceramic wall materials in Russia. The company's activities cover areas such as clay mining, ceramic production, new product development.
