The Fondazione Teatro dell'architettura has announced the architecture firm Al Borde (Ecuador) as the winner of the 2024 BancaStato Swiss Architectural Award. Founded in Quito by Pascual Gangotena, David Barragán, Maríaluisa Borja, and Esteban Benavides, Al Borde conceives a collective approach to design and construction, paying special attention to climate variables, the involvement of local communities, traditional construction techniques, and innovation. As they state, Al Borde “inhabits the territory of questioning, where certainties about what architecture should or should not be are constantly under construction.”
Awarded every two years and promoted since 2018 by the Fondazione Teatro dell'architettura, the BancaStato Swiss Architectural Award is one of the most prestigious international contemporary architecture prizes. This award recognizes the work of architecture professionals globally who have made a significant contribution to contemporary architectural culture, helping to improve the quality of human life and fostering public and disciplinary debate on the role of architecture in today's society.
For this 2023-2024 edition, the award reaffirms the collaboration of the three Swiss Schools of Architecture: Università della Svizzera italiana - Accademia di architettura; ETH Lausanne - ENAC, Section d'Architecture; and ETH Zurich - Departement Architektur. Supported by an advisory committee of internationally renowned architects, critics, and architectural historians, the award features a selection of candidates from around the world.
Among the 31 candidates for this ninth edition, the jury selected Al Borde for the Mirador Aula in the Cerro Blanco protected forest, Guayaquil, Ecuador; the Umbral Crudo Pavilion in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; and the Yuyarina Pacha Community Library in Huaticocha, Orellana Province, Ecuador. Chaired by Mario Botta and composed of Walter Angonese, Sophie Delhay, Matthias Kohler, and Xu Tiantian, the jury highlighted that Al Borde's work manifests a broad and deep interpretation of the concept of sustainability by being rooted in architectural history and references ranging from traditional construction techniques to modern experimentation. Furthermore, they noted that their research also involves the innovative reinterpretation of local materials, the definition of a contemporary vernacular architecture, and other local issues.
The works of Al Borde are built using local resources and techniques, with the territory acting as a unique variable where projects end up becoming an X-ray of the space, revealing the customs, histories, problems, and needs of their users. Developing their ideas through hands-on practice while bringing precision and detail to the site, Al Borde focuses on an architecture whose aesthetic is conscious of the energy expended during construction—an architecture open to active participation by everyone in the design and construction process.
All candidates for the 2024 BancaStato Swiss Architectural Award were nominated by an advisory committee consisting of Manuel Aires Mateus, Solano Benitez, Giacomo Borella, Stéphanie Bru, Angelo Bucci, Marianne Burkhalter, Antón García-Abril, Sean Godsell, Shelley McNamara, Valerio Olgiati, Martino Pedrozzi, Adolph Stiller, and Elisa Valero. Among the nominees for the award were: Adamo-Faiden (Argentina); Assemble (United Kingdom); Atelier Scheidegger Keller (Switzerland); BC architects & studies & materials (Belgium); Dunkelschwarz (Austria); Gustav Düsing (Germany); EMI Architekt*innen (Switzerland); Carles Enrich (Spain); Lina Ghotmeh (France); GRU. A arquitetos (Brazil); H+F arquitetos (Brazil); Anna Heringer (Germany); Anne Holtrop (Bahrain); La Cabina de la Curiosidad (Ecuador); LUO Studio (China); Miguel Marcelino (Portugal); Material Cultures (United Kingdom); Nuno Melo Sousa (Portugal); Michael Murphy (US); Nomos (Switzerland); Carles Oliver Barceló (Spain); RAW Robust Architecture Workshop (Sri Lanka); Bas Smets (Belgium); SO-IL (US); SOL 89 (Spain); SUMA Arquitectura (Spain); VÃO arquitetos (Brazil); Suzuko Yamada (Japan); Yashar Yektajo (Mexico).
On May 8, the 2024 BancaStato Swiss Architectural Award will be presented at the Auditorium of the Teatro dell'architettura Mendrisio of the Università della Svizzera italiana. At the same time, an exhibition showcasing the projects submitted by the candidates will open at the ceremony.
This article was written by Agustina Iñiguez. The translation is powered by AI.
