INNOVATIVE MATERIALS 5 2020
Stadsarchief Delft (Photography: Stefan MĂźller)
Wienerberger Brick Award Wienerberger presented the biennial Brick Award for the ninth time; this time the Brick Award 2020 edition. A jury consisting of world-class architects assess fifty submissions on criteria such as innovative design, special use of ceramics, functionality and sustainability of projects all over the world. The prize is awarded in five categories: Feeling at Home, Living Together, Working Together, Sharing Public Spaces and Building Outside the box. The last category deals with innovative concepts and ways of using brick, such as new building technologies or special ceramic applications in projects. A total of six prizes will be awarded: in addition to the category prizes, there is also a Grand Prize Winner and a Special Prize Winner. Five Dutch architects were nominated this year, one of which was awarded: the Delft city archive; a project by Gottlieb Paludan Architects (DK) and Office Winhov (NL). They won the prize in the Working Together category. A city archive has the somewhat contradictory task of protecting valuable do-
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cuments from outside influences while making them accessible to the public. This new building combines these two functions in the form of an enormous, abstracted bookshelf. The City Archive is divided in two parts: an L-shaped plinth containing the study halls, cafeteria and offices, and above
that a closed cube with the archive. In keeping with its public function, the bright concrete base is completely surrounded by story-high window openings. With its bright color, it is reminiscent of the many white-plastered public buildings in the otherwise brick-dominated historic center of Delft.
