The Arquipelago Center for Contemporary Art of the Azores has been nominated for an International Architecture Award promoted by the Royal Institute of British Architects. The winner of the contest will be announced later this year.
The old Ribeira Grande distillery and tobacco plant on the island of São Miguel (Azores) has been a finalist for the International Award of the Royal Institute of British Architects, which recognizes the ‘Most significant and inspiring building of the year’ worldwide.
There are 30 nominees for the award, from 20 countries, out of the 50 (countries) that initially applied. The final list was published today by the British Institute of Architects and includes projects from Baku in Azerbaijan, Buyukcekmece in Turkey to the city of Bien Hoa in Vietnam and São Miguel in the Azores.
The Contemporary Arts Center – that is the name of the work now chosen – was reconfigured in 2009 by the architects Francisco Vieira de Campos and Cristina Guedes, from the Menos é Mais Arquitectos Associados studio, and by João Mendes Ribeiro International Architecture Award .
Christina Guedes says that “this nomination is a recognition of the quality of the work of a great work team that aims to be collective. It is an exceptional opportunity to promote the value of a local project, the Azores archipelago, on a global level.” ”
During the selection process there were no size, budget or program restrictions for each project. The organization’s UK director, Jane Duncan, told CNN that being nominated for or winning this award “isn’t just a bet on the back, it’s a great opportunity for publicity and celebration.”
In a first stage, the 30 projects selected throughout this summer will be visited, and only afterwards will the 20 winners be chosen. After that, there will be 6 finalists, including the overall winner of the competition.