Auckland Architects Commended in Int'l Awards

Media Release

November 10, 2009

RTA Studio is delighted to have been highly commended at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, Spain for its Ironbank building in Karangahape Road.

Ironbank was one of thirteen finalists in the office building category which featured projects in cities ranging from Moscow to London and in countries as diverse as Turkey, South Korea, the USA and Sweden.

The jury of judges said the Ironbank building‘s “sophisticated attitude to the messy urbanity of south-central Auckland”made a real impression.

RTA Studio partnership, Richard Naish and Tim Melville were among a group of five New Zealand architecture practices that were finalists in different categories at the Festival and travelled to Barcelona for the awards.

“It was a fantastic event and very inspiring to see projects presented by some of the world’s leading architects,” says Richard Naish.

Richard says it was particularly satisfying to achieve such a result in the challenging office and ‘mixed use’category.

The Highly Commended prize for Ironbank is the latest in a string of international and local awards that the building has received over the past year.

Tim Melville says although some may be sceptical about the ability of New Zealand architecture to foot it internationally, the fact five New Zealand designs were chosen as finalists at the renowned World Architecture Festival is testament to the quality and originality of architecture in this country.

For further information check: http://www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/news-detail.cfm?newsId=79

ENDS

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