The co-curators of The Architecture Drawing Prize - the World Architecture Festival, Make Architects and Sir John Soane’s Museum are delighted to announce the Overall Winner of The Architecture Drawing Prize.
The Overall Winner is a hybrid drawing entitled ‘(Re)membering the See Monster’ by Filipino Architect and Illustrator Eldry John Infante (above). Combining digital techniques with ink on paper, the mixed media drawing represents the transformation of a defunct oil platform. It explores the scope for a drawing to incite discussions that go beyond a structure's physicality while poetically exploring the theme of reuse - and thereby sustainability - in the built environment.
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 jury also praised Eldry John Infante’s drawing for its cinematic narrative and its imaginative collage-like play with different representational conventions in a way that deftly contributes to its storytelling.
Eldry John Infante sums up the experience,
"My heartfelt gratitude to the jury of the Architecture Drawing Prize for this incredible honour. It’s surreal to think that the world would see a drawing I did at my desk at home. I am energized to continue learning and to share ideas through drawing."
About the Prize and the annual Prize exhibition at Sir John Soane’s Museum
The Architecture Drawing Prize is an annual event receiving entries in three categories: hand-drawn, digital and hybrid. Each year there are three category winners from which the judges select the overall winner. The 2023 winning drawings will be exhibited at Sir John Soane’s Museum together with the shortlisted submissions from the Prize. The exhibition part of the annual programme that is central to The Architecture Drawing Prize. It opens to the public on 31 January and will run at Sir John Soane’s Museum until 3 March 2024.
The 2023 edition of the Prize and the exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum has been realised with the support of the Italian brand Iris Ceramica Group: one of the world leaders in the production of high-end ceramic surfaces.
Federica Minozzi, CEO of Iris Ceramica Group and Prize Judge, says:
“We are really honoured to sponsor the Award for the second year. 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.”
Background on The Architecture Prize
Created as a collaboration between Sir John Soane's Museum with Make Architects and the World Architecture Festival, The Architecture Drawing Prize is now in its seventh year. It attracts entries from around the world and displays the best and most innovative architectural drawings of today. The extent to which the drawing makes a proposition about the possibilities of architecture is an important criterion in the judging process as are technical skill and originality of approach.
The 2023 Prize was judged by:
- 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
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.
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 the World Architecture Festival
World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2024 will take place from 6 - 8 November at the iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. It includes the largest live architectural awards programme in the world, dedicated to celebrating excellence via live presentations to an audience of high-profile delegates and international juries. WAF also has a 3-day seminar programme, unique networking opportunities and a product exhibition. Inside World Festival of Interiors is the sister festival of WAF, taking place at the same time and location. Inside is a feast of creativity, inspiration and knowledge for the interiors industry. WAF and Inside are organised by emap, publishers of The Architectural Review and The Architects’ Journal.
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.
