Australian Suburban School Wins World Building of the Year 2024
A small suburban school in Australia has taken the top honor at the prestigious World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore, beating out a variety of other ambitious projects, including skyscrapers, museums, and airport terminals. Darlington Public School, located in the Chippendale neighborhood of Sydney, was crowned World Building of the Year 2024, triumphing over more than 220 other architectural designs to claim the coveted title.
The school, which opened its doors in the fall of 2024, features an angular brick building with a striking “sawtooth” roof and expansive outdoor spaces, including a large basketball court and a community garden. Softly curved metal screens surround open-air terraces, allowing natural light to pour in while maintaining privacy for the students.
Transforming Education in Sydney’s Suburbs
The site has housed a school since the 1970s, but the old building no longer met the needs of the growing community. Sydney-based architectural firm fjcstudio, the design team behind the new school, reimagined the campus, providing modern and dynamic learning environments while maintaining the essence of the original structure. The transformation was done in two stages to ensure that classes could continue throughout the construction process.
The revamped campus now serves more than 500 students, including preschoolers, kindergarteners, and primary schoolchildren. The design also incorporates elements that celebrate the area’s rich Aboriginal heritage, with indigenous artwork displayed throughout the building and murals from the old school reproduced in the new structure’s cladding.
A Humble Yet Powerful Design
Alessandro Rossi, an associate at fjcstudio, expressed his pride in the project’s success, noting the modest scale of the building compared to the other larger-scale projects competing at WAF. “It’s very humbling to have won against all these other big projects. The real winners are the children who will benefit from this space for years to come,” Rossi said.
The school’s design not only addresses educational needs but also strengthens connections to the local community. The integration of Aboriginal culture is one of the key aspects that set Darlington Public School apart from other contenders, showcasing the importance of preserving cultural heritage in architecture.
The World Architecture Festival Awards
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) hosts its awards in 18 categories, including sport, transportation, health, and housing. Darlington Public School was selected as the World Building of the Year after winning in its category. Other projects in the running for the top honor included the National Star Observatory of Cyprus, a bus station in Poland, and a solar power plant in Turkey.
This is the second consecutive year that WAF judges have chosen an educational building for the top prize, following a serene boarding school in China taking the 2023 title. Additionally, Darlington Public School is the second Sydney building in recent years to win this award, following Quay Quarter Tower in 2022, which was recognized for being the world’s first “upcycled” skyscraper.
Previous Noteworthy WAF Winners
In past years, the World Architecture Festival has recognized various innovative projects, such as a senior citizens’ housing complex in Singapore and a waste-to-energy power plant in Copenhagen, Denmark, which even features a rooftop ski slope.
Source: CNN News
Post Comment