Great care went into the further development of the project, with particular attention given to the elaboration of construction and landscape details that strengthen the overall objective of the proposal. A hidden infrastructure within the city is opened up, made public, and transformed into a civic space – one situated at the intersection of architecture, landscape, infrastructure and urban design. The jury applauds the careful integration of the ensemble into the physical and social fabric of Medellín, reading the scheme as a robust proposition that fulfils all criteria set forth by the Holcim Foundation.

The project foregrounds the value of water as an important resource of urban life, celebrating a piece of infrastructure as a civic work of collective pride and beauty – another step in the transformation of Medellín from a troubled city a decade ago into a city with a high quality of life, from a place of neglect to a place of hope.

It is in this respect that the jury considers the scheme to offer a model of best practice, one to be emulated in other cities, whether in Latin America or around the globe.