Currently in its 7th year, The Architecture Drawing Prize continues to celebrate the art of drawing in three categories: hand-drawn, digital and hybrid. Sponsored by Iris Ceramica Group, the Prize has attracted a record number of entries with nearly 250 drawings from around the world. As in previous years, the majority of these are in the hand-drawn category.
The sophistication of new technologies used by entrants and new ways of depicting buildings and spaces led to probing discussions amongst the jury about the nature and definition of architectural drawing. There was also welcome debate about what constitutes conceptual drawing as opposed to illustration or the recording of buildings.
Federica Minozzi, CEO of Iris Ceramica Group and Prize Judge, says:
“We are really honoured to sponsor the Award. The Architecture Drawing Prize is a brilliant opportunity to demonstrate the genius of people and the desire to experiment. Hence the importance of it: it assumes a prominent role in reflecting architectural creativity.”
The 2023 winner of the hand-drawn category is ‘Grundtvig’ by Ben Johnson. The ink drawing is inspired by the 1920s Grundtvig Church in Copenhagen made using six million bricks.
Ken Shuttleworth, founder of Make Architects who originally set up The Architecture Drawing Prize, comments:
“As a jury we are inspired by Ben Johnson’s work and the way he has created a compelling art form from hand-drawings of buildings. The execution of the Grundtvig Church drawing is so controlled and precise that it becomes a meaningful expression of how Ben experiences architecture.”
Eugene Tan was selected as the 2023 digital category winner. His drawing ‘The Archatographic Map of the Incomplete Landscape on Pedra Branca’ explores the vulnerability of our planet, more specifically in Singapore.
Artists Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell, who have been on The Architecture Drawing Prize as judges since its inception in 2017, describe the entry:
“This beautiful, skilful and complex drawing expands the usual range of representational possibilities offered by maps. Through this drawing, Pedra Branca, a tiny outlying island of the archipelago becomes a signifier for the limited land supply of Singapore, and its fragile ecology within the complex geo-political environment of the South China Sea.”
The 2023 hybrid category winner is ‘(Re)membering the See Monster’ by Eldry John Infante. It renders the transformation of a defunct oil platform and welcomes discussions that go beyond a structure’s physicality.
Head of Exhibitions at Sir John Soane’s Museum and Prize Judge, Louise Stewart, says:
“We were impressed by this skilful and detailed drawing which has been digitally manipulated to create a very dynamic and varied composition. One of the drawing’s particular strengths is the way in which it uses a variety of visual languages, all of which convey information about how buildings work.”
The winning drawings will be displayed at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore (29 November – 1 December, 2023). Sir John Soane’s Museum in London will exhibit both the winning and shortlisted drawings from 31 January to 3 March, 2024. The Overall Winner of The Architecture Drawing Prize will be announced ahead of the exhibition as part of a webinar hosted by Sir John Soane’s Museum on January 29th at 5pm GMT. Details will be available via https://www.soane.org/whats-on.
The hand-drawn category shortlist also included:
- The Glasgow School of Art Fire (triptych) by Alan Dunlop
- Trees and rocks, the shapeshifter by Alexander Warncke
- Stephen Walbrook by Luka Pajovic
The digital category shortlist also included:
- The Bucolic Palimpsest by Ziad Haddad
- Transcultural Journey on the Orient Express by Chi Wai Vincent
- Gall-E: Interpolating Arts, Space and Display in the Age of AI by Tom Chan
The hybrid category shortlist also included:
- Liverpool Capriccio 2200 C.E. by Tim Wheeler
- The Urban Anthro-Scape: Above by Alexander Jeong
The Architecture Drawing Prize judges for 2023 are:
- Nikki Bell and Ben Langlands, Artists
- Pablo Bronstein, Artist
- Paul Finch, Director of World Architecture Festival (Chair of Jury)
- Lily Jencks, Co-founder of Lily Jencks Studio, Jencks Squared
- Federica Minozzi, CEO of Iris Ceramica Group
- Narinder Sagoo, Senior Partner at Foster + Partners
- Ken Shuttleworth, Founder of Make Architects
- Louise Stewart, Head of Exhibitions at Sir John Soane’s Museum
The Architecture Drawing Prize is co-curated by Make Architects, Sir John Soane’s Museum and World Architecture Festival (WAF).
The 2023 sponsor is Iris Ceramica Group with ArchDaily and Floornature as Prize media partners.
Sponsor:
About Iris Ceramica Group
Iris Ceramica Group is a leading international player in the ceramic industry, specializing in the production of cutting-edge luxury ceramic surfaces that stand out for their attractive design and excellent technical performance. Based in Fiorano Modenese, it has several production facilities in Italy, in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, along with two plants in Germany and in the USA. Operating in more than 100 countries, it employs approximately 1,000 people in its plants in Italy and another 500 people in its plants abroad. The Group boasts more than 60 years of entrepreneurial experience. Innovation, outstanding quality and sustainability have always been the core values that inspire the Group to create ceramic solutions that reflect these values, and which also carry a deep meaning: serving people while respecting the environment.
Curators:
About World Architecture Festival (WAF)
World Architecture Festival and INSIDE World Festival of Interiors will take place at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 29 November to 1 December 2023
WAF is where the world architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange and be inspired.
WAF is the world’s largest annual, international, live architectural event. It includes the biggest international architectural awards programme in the world, dedicated to celebrating excellence via live presentations to an audience of high-profile delegates and international juries.
The 2023 World Architecture Festival (WAF) comprises:
- A thematic conference programme (based on the theme: ‘ ‘Catalyst’
- Live judging of finalists ‘projects
- Gallery of all award entries
- Exhibition area
- Networking and social events including partner fringe events
- Gala dinner announcing the overall winners
Inside World Festival of Interiors runs alongside WAF, with its own awards and conference programme. Delegates have access to both events.WAF and Inside are organised by EMAP, publishers of The Architectural Review and The Architects’ Journal.
About Make
Make is an award-winning international architectural practice motivated by imaginative design, resilient placemaking and creating social value. The practice brings projects to life across a broad range of sectors and locations, pushing for innovation in each one, whether it’s a small community-led scheme or a landmark new structure. This approach has produced designs for several noteworthy arts and culture projects, including a dynamic exhibition space for emerging artists in Hong Kong and a major museum and art gallery in Swindon. Make’s founder, Ken Shuttleworth, has been recognised for his skilled draughtsmanship over the years, earning him the nickname “Ken the Pen.” The 2020-2021 lockdowns led Make to design and launch the Vault of Contemporary Art, a virtual gallery with an inaugural exhibition curated by the V&A and dedicated to a retrospective by the British artist Ben Johnson.
About Sir John Soane’s Museum
Sir John Soane’s house, museum and library at No. 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields has been a national museum since the early nineteenth century. On his appointment as Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy in 1806, Soane (1753-1837) began to arrange his books, classical antiquities, casts and models so that students of architecture might benefit from access to them. In 1833 he negotiated an Act of Parliament to preserve the house and collection after his death for the benefit of ‘amateurs and students’ in architecture, painting and sculpture. Today, Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of the country’s most unusual and significant museums with a continuing and developing commitment to education and creative inspiration. Sir John Soane’s Museum was a finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017.
Media Partners:
About ArchDaily
ArchDaily is the most visited source of tools, inspiration, and knowledge for those who will imagine, design, and build our future world. In 2008, while working as architects, our founders realized that there was no place for their peers to experience the latest projects, products, and trends.
About Floornature
Floornature is an international portal about architecture, design and design culture, investigating the contemporary with a special focus on sustainability. Its vocation, from the micro to the macro-scale of creativity, is to present new developments in architecture and design as they happen, with the specific intention of tracking emerging trends. The portal features special focus articles on materials for architecture and interviews with great masters of architecture and design
