Krakow arts centre wins Architizer award

The Malopolska Garden of Arts: photo - Krzysztof Ingarden

The Malopolska Garden of Arts, which was one of five international finalists in the category for Theatres and Performing Arts Centres, was designed by Krakow's Ingarden and Ewy office.

One of very few contemporary buildings in Krakow's historic centre, the Garden of Arts includes a library, a cinema and above all a performance hall that can be adapted for theatrical performances, concerts and other events.

Speaking to Polish Radio's English Section prior to the launch of the building in October 2012, chief architect Krzysztof Ingarden had noted that convincing Krakow's authorities to back the design had not been easy.

“It took a lot of time to show and prove that our building – even though it is very contemporary – is at the same time careful about history, that it creates some kind of dialogue with history” he said.

Meanwhile, the jury prize in Architzer's Theatres and Performing Arts Centres category went to China's Dalian International Conference Centre, designed by Austrian firm Coop Himmelb(l)au.

“The mission of the Architizer A+ Awards is to remind everyone in the world that they are fans of architecture, even if they don’t realize it,” a statement released on the web site enthused.

“This year’s winners make our job easy. They are projects where noble ambitions match their formal sophistication – they represent the best architecture from across the globe.”

The awards will be presented in New York on 16 May, covering 87 buildings whittled down from submissions from over 100 countries. (nh)

Source: Architizer/culture.pl