Jury Comments
An extremely
confident intervention within the context of an extremely strong
architectural object, itself within an under-designed campus. The
opportunity to play it safe and provide a quite and neutral landscape
was thankfully eschewed.
Instead the landscape
architect has used the strong geometrical and formal theme of the
architecture as a departure point, providing a landscape of strong
contrasts and differences. While these themes are perhaps not explored
as rigorously as they are within the building, the resultant landscape
is perceived as a relevant complement to the architecture, providing
an almost surreal landscape experience.
The design agenda set by the
designer is ambitious, and the jury felt the designer delivered with rigor.
Robust, indigenous planting material will tolerate the hot
microclimates while the River She Oaks will provide an atmospheric
setting for the building in the future.
The success of this strategy of complexity works because of the
sophisticated articulation of the various parts that make up the
composition.
The jury was
particularly impressed by the extraordinary use of ordinary materials.
This could well be a precedent for the rest of this degraded campus.
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