The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture highlight outstanding buildings across Canada and Edmonton’s Borden Park Pavilion and Fort McMurray International Airport were honoured this year.
The 2018 recipients were announced Monday.
Edmonton’s mayor wasn’t surprised the Borden Park Pavilion was among those selected.
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“A few years ago the city embarked on that project to build several new park pavilions,” Don Iveson said. “I think they’re all stunning. We each have our favourites but no doubt the Borden Park Pavilion was really one that caught people’s eyes.
“People who’ve gone to explore Borden Park because of it and the new public art there have been singularly impressed.
“We’ve built a number of extraordinary buildings in Edmonton the last few years. This is great to break that dry spell of 2o-some years since the last time an Edmonton project was recognized. It shows the city does have an appetite for great design and signature public spaces,” Iveson said.
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“It’s well deserved recognition for both the architects and the city team that built it.”
Among the 12 winning buildings are a sports complex, national historic site, a 170-year-old church, and a small hospital. They include buildings in rural Noval Scotia to Whistler, B.C. and two Alberta sites.
Borden Park Pavilion (designed by gh3)
Fort McMurray International Airport (Office of mcfarlane biggar architects + designers (omb). The project commenced as predecessor firm mcfarlane green biggar Architecture + Design)
The other 2018 winners are:
- Audain Art Museum, Whistler, B.C. (Patkau Architects)
- Casey House, Toronto, Ont. (Hariri Pontarini Architects)
- Complexe Sportif Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Que. (Saucier+Perrotte Architectes and HCMA)
- Fort York Visitor Centre, Toronto, Ont. (a joint venture between Patkau Architects and Kearns Mancini Architects)
- Maison de la littérature, Quebec City, Que. (Chevalier Morales Architectes)
- Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, Montreal, Que. (Atelier TAG and Jodoin Lamarre Pratte Architectes in consortium)
- Parallelogram House, East St. Paul, Man. (5468796 Architecture)
- Rabbit Snare Gorge, Inverness, Nova Scotia (Omar Gandhi Architect and Design Base 8 (NYC))
- Two Hulls House, Port Mouton, Nova Scotia (MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects)
- Stade de Soccer de Montréal, Montreal, Que. (Saucier+Perrotte Architectes and HCMA)
“Architecture is a powerful art form that can affect people in their daily lives,” said Simon Brault, director and CEO of Canada Council for the Arts.
“It can inspire us, soothe us, transport us to other realms. The winners of the 2018 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture can be justly proud that they have designed places that, for instance, motivate athletes to surpass themselves, appease the suffering of people grappling with illness, or build bridges to the past.
“These winners have not been afraid to break with convention,” Brault said.
The awards will be presented during a ceremony in Ottawa in the fall.