Studio Awards The Texas Society of Architects Studio Awards recognize unbuilt projects that demonstrate innovation and excellence in design. The program emphasizes real or theoretical projects that go beyond the boundaries of architecture to address current critical issues.
2015 Studio Awards
This year’s submissions offered a variety of building typologies proposed for locations in Texas and abroad, predominately Asia. Four projects were selected from among the 72 entries. The award-winning projects all demonstrate pure architecture that, in the jury’s opinion, could be “understood through the drawings alone, without the words.” The 2015 Studio Awards jurors met on Friday, August 21, at the San Francisco offices of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. Composed entirely of Bay Area-based architects, the jury included Karl Backus, AIA, of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson; E.B. Min, AIA, of Min|Day; and Craig Scott of IwamotoScott Architecture.
Dalian Airport Terminal Competition, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, Dalian, Liaoning, China Corgan, Dallas
Located at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula in the Yellow Sea, Dalian is China’s northernmost warm-water port. Home to approximately seven million metropolitan residents, it is the second largest city in Liaoning Province, after the provincial capital of Shenyang. A recent international design competition for a new airport terminal, however, is seeking to make the city the largest aviation hub in north central China.
Corgan’s design team, working in Dallas and Shanghai, developed an iconic and innovative scheme for the terminal based on circulation flow, passenger experience, and sustainable practices both environmental and economic. In plan, the massive 7,300,000-sf building is a sculpted X, a shape that provides for a maximum number of gates along the perimeter. The architects developed an organic interaction between the plan, the facades, and the roof, with massive piers “pouring” down from skylights in the ceiling. Zones of vegetated landscaping provide tranquil retreats for
passengers, while a sizeable concessions program occupies the center of the X-shaped plan — a shopping mall to serve China’s growing consumer market and provide a steady stream of revenue to the airport. The jurors appreciated the detail of the presentation, noting that every element of the airport had been thought out. Collectively, they agreed that the proposal was “aspirational and a beautiful space.” E.B. Min appreciated the effort to bring grandeur to the terminal, noting that an airport like this one would elevate and enhance the experience of traveling.
11/12 2015
Texas Architect 23