International Architecture Award 2016
© BAUART
The architectural firm Bauart, of which Prof. Emmanuel Rey of the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) is a partner, was awarded the International Architecture Award 2016 for the realizaiton of the « Europaplatz - House of Religions » multi-purpose centre. Organized each year by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, this prestigious international prize honors architectural achievements, which are outstanding for their originality, their expressive quality and their conceptual coherence.
Part of the Europaplatz multipurpose centre in Bern designed by Bauart and Urbanoffice, the House of Religions consists in a real experimentation on intercultural dialogue. Five religious communities now enjoy a place of worship together under one roof. A Hindu temple, a mosque, a Christian chapel, a Buddhist temple and a prayer room for Alevis have been incorporated in the building. A shared space has also been provided to promote intercultural dialogue and meetings between the representatives of the various religious communities.
In addition to the "House of religions", this multifunctional center includes residential spaces, restaurants, as well as commercial and administrative areas. The jury of the International Architecture Award 2016 recognized as remarkable this original architectural approach.
A travelling exhibition presenting all the prize-winning projects will be opening next September at the international symposium “The City and the World” in Istanbul. The exhibition’s accompanying catalogue Global Design + Urbanism XVI is published by the Metropolitan Arts Press.