Weiss/Manfredi's Olympic Sculpture Park Wins A World Architecture Award

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On October 22, 2008, Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi presented the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park to an international jury at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, Spain. Out of 722 entries, 63 countries, and 17 categories, Weiss/Manfredi was selected as the Nature Category winner and the only U.S. firm to win an award. 

Jury member Robert Schaefer, Editor in Chief of Topos, summarizes the jury's comments:

"The winning project is the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, presented by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, New York. The jury was convinced by the functional and striking architecture and landscape merges, forming a promenade which zigzags from city level down to the sea, giving new access to the formerly inaccessible shore."

"Nature was presented in a broad variety: buildings in the open landscape, museums interpreting natural phenomena, residential houses, schools or spas with intimate gardens, or structures related to the spirit of nature. The winner was selected not only because of the project's architectural and landscape qualities but equally for its relevance when it comes to reconstructing or transforming the city."