World Building of the Year: Auckland Art Gallery

9:30 AM Saturday Oct 5, 2013

Since its redevelopment, the gallery had received 16 architectural and four design related awards

The Auckland Art Gallery has been awarded World Building of the Year at the prestigious World Architecture Festival in Singapore today. The accolade follows wins in the "Completed Buildings - Culture" category at the festival and the "Culture" category win for interior design at the INSIDE Festival - a partner event to the festival - announced this week. Auckland Mayor Len Brown said the awards recognised the gallery's status as a national icon for the arts. "It also acknowledges Auckland's vision for the gallery; the exceptional work of the architects, designers and gallery team involved; and the support of the Auckland arts community." Auckland Art Gallery director Rhana Devenport said since the expansion and restoration of its building, the art gallery had attracted over a million people through its doors, "a sure sign of embrace from Aucklanders, as well as from local and international visitors". "Our new building is cherished not only by the design community, but by people from all cultures and walks of life." The nine-year building redevelopment, completed in 2011, was a joint project between Australian architecture firm Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) and local studio Archimedia, and led by Auckland Art Gallery director at the time, Chris Saines. FJMT design director, Richard Francis-Jones said it was a "great honour" to receive the international awards and a great acknowledgement of the special quality of the Auckland Art Gallery. "Especially so as it is the building's embodiment of the unique qualities of place and culture that has been so widely applauded by the international juries." Since the redevelopment, the gallery had received 16 architectural and four design related awards, including the Jorn Utzon Award for International Architecture from the Australian Institute of Architects, New Zealand Architecture Medal from the New Zealand Institute of Architects and Royal Institute of British Architects International Award. - APNZ