Global recognition for enhancing the quality of life in Medellín
Top prize of 4th International Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction conferred
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover – Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park, Medellín, Colombia
Presentation of the Global Gold Award 2015 (l-r): Juan Calle, General Manager of Grupo EPM; Jaime Hill, CEO of Holcim Colombia; Aníbal Gaviria, Mayor of Medellín; prize winner Mario Camargo, architect from Colectivo 720; and Pascal Casanova, LafargeHolcim Executive Committee member responsible for Latin America.
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover – Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park, Medellín, Colombia
Presentation of the Global Gold Award 2015 (l-r): Jaime Hill, CEO of Holcim Colombia; prize winner Mario Camargo, architect from Colectivo 720; and Pascal Casanova, Holcim Executive Committee member responsible for Latin America.
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover – Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park, Medellín, Colombia
“It is an honor for Medellín to receive an international prize for sustainability as well as a confirmation that our commitment can serve as a model of best practice for many other cities around the world” – Aníbal Gaviria, Mayor of Medellín.
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover – Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park, Medellín, Colombia
Host Carolina Gómez (Colombia) interviews internationally renowned architect Alejandro Aravena (Chile). Alejandro Aravena is a member of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation, was a member of the Global Awards jury, and has been appointed as Director of the Architecture Section, with the responsibility for curating the 15th International Architecture Exhibition to be held from May 28th to November 27th 2016.
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover – Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park, Medellín, Colombia
“Our project helps to give Medellín back to its citizens. Until now, the site was off limits; but soon everybody will be able to use the park” – Mario Camargo, Global Gold Awards 2015 winning architect from Colectivo 720.
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover – Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park, Medellín, Colombia
“The Awards is an international competition that recognizes innovative projects and future-oriented concepts on regional and global levels” – Bruno Stagno (renowned architect on tropical architecture from Costa Rica), member of all regional Holcim Awards juries for region Latin America.
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover – Visiting tour at the gold-winning UVA Orphelinato
During a visit of the construction site of the gold-winning “Articulated Site”, guests already obtained a first impression of how this project will change the community. A decommissioned water reservoir is turned into civic space and an outdoor auditorium will become a venue for a range of activities.
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Instead of demolishing the obsolete bulk water tanks, Colectivo 720 led by the architects Mario Camargo and Luis Tombé improve the urban fabric by converting the reservoirs into an open public park and venue for cultural and sporting activities. The construction technology is based on the use of available local materials and resources within a rationalized construction method, allowing active local knowledge with easy labor training programs, and promoting community participation in low-risk construction activities.
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After the awards ceremony, guests had the chance to visit the UVA La Alegria which was recently inaugurated. The UVA La Alegria is part of the network of projects including the Global Gold winning “Articulated Site” (UVA Orfelinato) that highlight the value of water as an important resource of urban life.
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After the awards ceremony, guests had the chance to visit the UVA La Alegria which was recently inaugurated. The UVA La Alegria is part of the network of projects including the Global Gold winning “Articulated Site” (UVA Orfelinato) that highlight the value of water as an important resource of urban life.
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover - Media Briefing
Media briefing with the winner of the Global Gold Award 2015, Mario Camargo. Speakers also include Aníbal Gaviria, Mayor of Medellín; Juan Calle, General Manager of Grupo EPM; Pascal Casanova, Member of the Executive Committee of LafargeHolcim responsible for Latin America; Horacio Valencia, Chief architect of Grupo EPM; and Jaime Hill, CEO of Holcim Colombia.
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Global Gold Awards 2015 prize handover - Media Briefing
Mayor of Medellín, Aníbal Gaviria, explained that Medellín has a strong commitment to sustainable development and innovation. “It is an honor for Medellín to receive an international prize for sustainability as well as a confirmation that our commitment can serve as a model of best practice for many other cities around the world”.
The most significant international prize for sustainable design was presented to a team of young architects of Colectivo 720 from Cali (Colombia) for an urban transformation project in Medellín. At the ceremony for the Global Holcim Award Gold 2015, Aníbal Gaviria (Mayor of Medellín), Alejandro Aravena (internationally renowned architect from Chile) and representatives of the competition sponsor Holcim, praised the winning project for its approach of turning a de-commissioned water reservoir into civic space – enhancing the quality of life of many inhabitants.
Last updated: August 05, 2015 Medellín, Colombia
The most significant international prize for sustainable design was presented to a team of young architects of Colectivo 720 from Cali (Colombia) for an urban transformation project in Medellín. At the ceremony for the Global Holcim Award Gold 2015, Aníbal Gaviria (Mayor of Medellín), Alejandro Aravena (internationally renowned architect from Chile) and representatives of the competition sponsor Holcim, praised the winning project for its approach of turning a de-commissioned water reservoir into civic space – enhancing the quality of life of many inhabitants.
Instead of demolishing the obsolete bulk water tanks, Colectivo 720 led by the architects Mario Camargo and Luis Tombé improve the urban fabric by converting the reservoirs into an open public park and venue for cultural and sporting activities. The urban project addresses socio-political issues by linking neighborhoods together – and also saves the cost of demolition and waste of resources. It is currently under construction and is expected to be handed-over to the public by the end of this year.
Mayor of Medellín, Aníbal Gaviria (pictured left), explained that Medellín has a strong commitment to sustainable development and innovation. “It is an honor for Medellín to receive an international prize for sustainability as well as a confirmation that our commitment can serve as a model of best practice for many other cities around the world”, he said.
Transforming urban spaces at multiple scales
The celebrated project UVA Orfelinato is part of a series of similar interventions initiated and enabled by Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) together with the city council. All UVA projects are run by Fundación EPM. By making the Awards prize-money of USD 200,000 available to Fundacíon EPM, the winning architects are providing a meaningful contribution towards a sustainable impact of their project.
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At the Awards ceremony in Medellín, Alejandro Aravena (pictured left) said that the project was extremely valuable because it broke new ground and created new ways to enhance life in the city. “The project improves the quality of life through urban design and brings together infrastructure and public space. It provides amenities for underserved communities and is a powerful synthesis of responses to complex problems”, he said. Aravena is a member of the Board of the Foundation that runs the Awards competition and was a member of its jury. The winning project was selected from more than 6,000 entries from 152 countries and already honored in the regional phase of the competition in 2014 as the best entry from Latin America.
Giving Medellín back to its citizens
On behalf of the winning team of architects, Mario Camargo explained that opening the site up to the public created interconnectivity between neighborhoods. “Our project helps to give Medellín back to its citizens. Until now, the site was off limits; but soon everybody will be able to use the park”, he said. Juan Calle, General Manager of Grupo EPM, explained that the Global Award winning project UVA Orfelinato was part of a range of community activities highlighting the value of water as an important resource of urban life.
Holcim Executive Committee member for Latin America Pascal Casanova (pictured left) noted that the Awards were an integral part of the company’s commitment to sustainable development. “We want to use our position as the world leader in the building materials industry to support sustainable construction, build awareness, and to advocate solutions that incorporate architectural excellence and enhanced quality of life”, he said.
Jaime Hill, CEO of Holcim Colombia, a member of Holcim, commented on the outstanding rate of success of the nation’s second largest city in the competition. “Medellín has received three main prizes to date in the Holcim Awards – showing the importance of approaches with a focus on ethical standards and social inclusion in creating sustainable cities”, he said.
Further reading
Media release
Sustainable design improving communities
Zurich, Switzerland