International accolades for AEC
Albany Entertainment Centre has won an international award for Perth-based architectural firm Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland.
AEC project design director for the AEC project, Steve Woodland, was presented the Trophee Archizinc Prix Special in the Daring category at a ceremony in Paris in front of several hundred people on June 26.
Mr Woodland, who felt the AEC’s establishment had opened a new “portal to Albany” for entertainment, said the award came as a huge surprise and gave the city unprecedented international prominence.
“It’s pretty high profile for a regional project, which by default puts Albany in an international context,” he said.
“The feedback I’ve been getting has been very positive and the terrific thing is that all the people’s experience inside the building is assisted by people being able to engage in such a range of events, even to the extent that people travel down from Perth to see them.”
An 11-member international jury of professionals selected the building for its “elegant response” to its waterfront surrounds and its role as a “city crown – a monumental sculpture and a focal point of a renewal waterfront landscape”.
A total of 119 projects were entered in the awards, representing 19 countries.
It was the first time an Australian practice received recognition at the biennial awards.
Last year the project also received a public building award Public Building’s Award at the Australian Institute of Architects (WA) Design Awards.
