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.
Martin Powell, Chief Executive of The Institution of Structural Engineers, explained that the Structural Awards are staged 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,” he added.
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.”
Other Award winners included:
Award for Highway or Railway BridgeStructures: Elbebridge Schönebeck
Location: Schönebeck, Germany
Structural Designer: Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner
Award for Pedestrian Bridges: Footbridge over the Bow
Location: Banff, Canada
Structural Designer: Fast + Epp Award for Arts or Entertainment
Structures: The Reid Building
Location: Glasgow, UK
Structural Designer: Arup
Award for Community or Residential Structures: Kew House
Location: London, UK
Structural Designer: Price & Myers
Award for Education or Healthcare Structures: WWF-UK, The Living Planet Centre
Location: Woking, UK
Structural Designer: Expedition Engineering
Award for Infrastructure or Transportation Structures: Pulkovo International Airport
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia
Structural Designer: Ramboll
Award for Small Practices: Lower Hatea River Crossing
Location: Whangarei, New Zealand
Structural Designer: Knight Architects/ Peters & Cheung
Award for Small Projects: The Miles Stair – Somerset House
Location: London, UK
