The winners of The Structural Awards 2014 have been announced during a ceremony held at the Brewery in London.
The Awards, organised each year by The Institution of Structural Engineers, celebrate innovation and excellence in the art and science of structural engineering, recognising projects from all over the world.
Martin Powell, Chief Executive of The Institution of Structural Engineers, said: “We hold the Structural Awards annually to recognise outstanding work by structural engineers, and to raise awareness about the vital global role they play creating innovative design solutions.
"From skyscraper and bridge construction to heritage and home projects, this year’s Awards have showcased the full range of chartered structural engineers’ abilities - as trusted professionals, problem solvers, and the guardians of public safety. I congratulate all our winners on their achievements, and thank all those who entered.”
The Glass Lantern, a feature at the new Apple store in Istanbul, Turkey, has been presented with The Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence, as well as the Award for Commercial or Retail Structures. The Lantern, a stunning and unique glass structure which floods the store below with light, is made up of only five elements: four 10m x 3m laminated glass walls, supporting a roof made of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic.
Completed in April 2014, and engineered by Eckersley O’Callaghan, the “Glass Lantern” was designed to achieve the ultimate transparent structure, free of the visible fixings and joins which could mar its integrity and transparency. The effect is a reductionist sculptural presence opening onto the store below.
The Awards judges said: “This project is a supreme example of collaboration between engineer and fabricator, taking structural glass technology into a new dimension. Only engineering excellence and attention to detail can produce a result of such simplicity and purity of expression.”
The Structural Heritage Award went to the Forth Rail Bridge, Edinburgh. Other Award winners included:
- Award for Highway or Railway Bridge Structures: Elbebridge Schönebeck, Germany.
- Award for Pedestrian Bridges: Footbridge over the Bow, Canada.
- Award for Arts or Entertainment Structures: The Reid Building, Glasgow.
- Award for Community or Residential Structures: Kew House, London.
- Award for Education or Healthcare Structures: WWF-UK, The Living Planet Centre, Woking.
- Award for Infrastructure or Transportation Structures: Pulkovo International Airport, Russia.
- Award for Small Practices: Lower Hatea River Crossing, New Zealand.
- Award for Small Projects: The Miles Stair – Somerset House, London.
- Award for Sports and Leisure Structures: Adelaide Oval, Australia.
- Award for Sustainability: Muregeya Bridge, Rwanda.
