On December 12, in New York City, seven jurors convened to evaluate and discuss more than 200 projects submitted to AN‘s second annual Best Of Design Awards.
The jury included Thomas Balsley, of Thomas Balsley Associates; Winka Dubbeldam, of ARCHI-TECTONICS; Kenneth Drucker, of HOK; Chris McVoy, of Steven Holl Architects; Craig Schwitter, of Buro Happold; Annabelle Selldorf, of Selldorf Architects; and Erik Tietz, of Tietz-Baccon.
This year, the jury reviewed projects submitted in nine categories, including Best Facade, Best Landscape,
Display niches, lighting, and the configuration of the spaces enhance the experience of viewing the art. A steel stair with a custom laser cut pattern cantilevers out from the wall. Light from the skylight above filters through the stair and projects a dynamic texture of shadow and light throughout the interior.
A grand entry door marks the threshold into the relatively small house. The door is made of a 2-inch stainless steel tube frame. The 10-foot-high door is set on a hydraulic pivot and a concealed magnetic locking device. A slit window in one corner of the house frames a sweeping view of Santa Monica Bay.
Best Of: Non-Residential Interior
OSU Postal Plaza Gallery
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Elliott + Associates
“It’s a palimpsest project. Not only are they exposing the building that’s there, but they cut deeper to show the bones underneath. So there are several layers of time from the construction of the building, the rawness of the building before it was finished, elements of the original building, and then new insertions. Through strategic cutting and revealing, you get this through subtraction.”—Chris McVoy
The Oklahoma State University Postal Plaza Gallery was established for the display and safe storage of art, as well as to serve as an educational tool for students and the residents of Stillwater and the state at large.
Elliott + Associates developed its design around the concept of turning the space inside out. The goal was to allow visitors to see how works of art are cared for, how an exhibit is organized and hung, and how the process of collection management plays out.
The architecture reflects this behind the scenes approach. The architects carved into the former post office building, leaving portions of its underlying structure exposed, maintaining certain existing architectural elements, and making unobtrusive additions.
Best Of: Non-Residential Interior: Honorable Mention
Microsoft Cybercrime Center
Redmond, Washington
Olson Kundig Architects
Olson Kundig Architects transformed an existing office space into a facility for global cyber crime fighting. Designed to serve Microsoft’s team of legal and technical experts, as well as visiting customers, academics, law enforcement, and industry partners, the project provides flexible workspace and establishes an environmental brand that interprets the work.
The architects organized a set of workrooms with around a central space with views to large landscaped gardens. Changeable degrees of transparency in the workrooms allow visitors to see digital forensics specialists at work without disturbing operations. The team also raised drop ceilings along the window wall to maximize daylight on the interior.
