Edition 2010

Amsterdam 2010

7^th International Trophy

Hosted by Gyproc Netherlands

22

Countries

45

Projects

3

Categories

1

New country

Winners 7^th Trophy

Plaster

Grand Théâtre, Bordeaux

This impressive restoration project took eighteen months to complete, involving fourteen months of plaster work by skilled plaster workers (Compagnons) to return the theatre to its former glory, after having suffered severe water damage. Existing moulding parts had to be removed, to make silicone moulds, in order to allow the casting of new mouldings and ornaments, and work was therefore slow and extremely delicate. The jury panel awarded the prize to this project due to the overall scale of the project, which involved creating and re-installing thousands of small, highly intricate parts, the challenges caused by the age and variety of the building’s substrates, and the dizzying heights at which workers had to operate. The final result demonstrates the passion and exceptional skills of the team involved in the execution of this magnificent restoration project.

Innovation

Aviator Hotel, Farnborough

Gillespie UK Ltd

Styled to resemble an aircraft propeller when viewed from the skies, Farnborough’s 4-star Aviator Hotel is inspired by the town’s long association with the aerospace industry. The hotel’s sleek exterior, with elegant curves formed from bands of bright aluminium, was designed to focus attention towards the main entrance. Visitors enter a spectacular full height circular atrium with a dramatic feature staircase and solid white curved balustrades and landings, from where guests can enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding area. This project was chosen by the jury for its exceptional use of bespoke GRG (glass reinforced gypsum) elements to provide a functional, high strength, robust and aesthetically stunning circular sweeping staircase with perfect lines and clean finishes. The contractor’s skill in designing and producing the bespoke GRG elements were key to translating the architect’s vision into reality. The finished element was central to the visual impact of the hotel atrium’s design and is highly functional, providing impact resistance in the high traffic staircase area.

Plasterboard

Ciudad de la Cultura, Santiago de Compostela

The City of Culture has become the architectural landmark of Santiago de Compostela, and is an emblematic work, which has been dubbed “the steel mountain”. Designed by the architect, Peter Eisenman, the design is comprised of a superposition of the topographic map of the terrain, a grid, and a street map of Santiago’s medieval centre. The work houses an ambitious collection of cultural areas including a newspaper library, library, museum, social services, theatre and new technologies centre, and can be described as a small city covering an area of 265 000 m², with six volumes, connected by pedestrian streets.The jury panel awarded the prize for this project due to the sheer technicality which its execution required. The project had quite a radical interior design, had to meet stringent acoustic and fire demands, and installation was carried out at heights of over 25 metres, in confined spaces which involved assembly using poles. Plaintec achieved an excellent level of finish in lines, curves and grids, the three components which comprise the structure of this steel mountain. Peter Janmaat, Gyproc Netherlands Managing Director and event organiser, remarked “The Agora Theatre in Lelystad, winner of the 2008 Gyproc Trophy, has now become an architectural landmark and a source of national pride” and remarked on “the strong link between the Trophy Competition and Amsterdam’s long history of excellent craftsmanship”. This was reflected in the event venue, a converted shipbuilding factory. President of Saint-Gobain’s Gypsum Activity, Claude-Alain Tardy commented that this “is the most important external event for the Gypsum Activity”. As there are already many competitions for architects, “our competition deliberately aims to recognise contractors whose skill and innovative use of plasters and plasterboard systems are vital to translate an architect’s vision into reality, and contribute to driving innovation in interior lightweight systems”. Alastair Bell (Gypsum Activity Marketing Director) and Jury President observed “it was difficult for the 9 member international jury to choose winners due to the excellent standard of all nominated projects. The winners demonstrated incredible technical understanding of our products and systems and involved a high degree of collaboration between all parties from the earliest project stages.