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The opening day of the annual Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Festival of Architecture was marked in style with a gala announcing the recipient of the RAIC International Prize (formerly the Moriyama RAIC International Prize). Awarded every two years, the prestigious prize is given to any architect anywhere in the world in honour of a project that has been completed and in use for at least two years, and which has had a transformative impact on the local community by reflecting humanistic values of equality, respect, and inclusiveness. Recipients receive a generous $100,000CAD award along with a handcrafted sculpture designed by Canadian artist Wei Yew.
This year, Toronto's own Hariri Pontarini Architects took home the prize for their Baha'i Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile, inching past two other shortlisted projects in Peru and Senegal to claim the award.
Accepting the award was lead designer Siamak Hariri, who shepherded the project through its 14-year process from design through construction to completion. Tasked with an enormous undertaking, Hariri recounted the incredible journey culminating in this international recognition.
The Baha'i faith is based on the belief that all religions are one, and that all of humanity lives together under one truth. Based on these core beliefs, Hariri was tasked with building a temple that welcomed all people of all faiths, regardless of history, race, gender, or socio-economic background. There is no clergy in the Baha'i faith, so the building is simply meant as a place for anyone to come and pray, meditate, or reflect in silence.
Inspired by a quote from Baha'i teachings, the architects sought to embody light with the design of the building, and to create a landmark 'jewel' that—given its needed appeal to people of all faiths—could not resemble any other religious structures. Given this difficult task, Hariri and his team embarked on an aspirational journey to create the prefect landmark.
Craftsmanship played heavily in the creation of the building. The facade of the building is composed of two carefully curated layers that create the perfect translucency to make the building glow. Working with local glass artisan Jeff Goodman, Hariri developed an innovative cast glass panel for the exterior layer using crushed borosilicate tubes, crafted to provide the perfect translucency that would obscure the inner steel structure but would allow enough light through to illuminate the wall from within.
The inner layer of the facade is a translucent marble from a quarry in Portugal. Held at the quarry for seven generations until the perfect project came along, Hariri managed to convince the owners to supply the marble to them, which was then cut and sanded to the exact shape and thickness. The result is the 'embodied light' that Hariri sought after; the soft interior light during the day creates an illuminated awe-inspiring atmosphere, while the effect is reversed at night, when the building glows from within.
Hariri emphasized that the project was not just about the materials or the craftsmanship, it was about the aspirations of creating a divine place that speaks to each and every person. And the success of the project speaks for itself: since opening two years ago, the building has seen a total of 1.7 million visitors, and counting. Situated on an idyllic site overlooking Santiago with the Andes Mountains as a backdrop, the project shines as a beacon that calls all of humanity to come together under one roof.
As the jury explained, the decision was very tough with three strong shortlisted projects to decide from, and it took them nearly 5 months of at times heated debate to reach a consensus. Edifico E Lecture Building in Piura, Peru was one of the other shortlisted projects. Designed by Lima-based Barclay and Crousse Architects, the building is a conglomeration of 11 structures grouped together in a square plan where the interstitial spaces create vibrant social environments where students from all faculties and socioeconomic backgrounds can mingle and exchange ideas. The in-between spaces also provide thermal comfort through shade and ventilation in the hot, arid desert. The success of the project can be seen in the heavy use of the building, where it is estimated that roughly 30% of users are not there to actually attend any of the classes.
The other shortlisted project was THREAD, an Artists' Residency and Cultural center in the rural village of Sinthian, Senegal. Designed by New York-based Toshiko Mori Architects, the simple structure takes on a complex form that provides flexible communal spaces for the local community to use. Acting as an arts and cultural hub, gathering place, public library, tree nursery, and educational centre, the building is constructed by local craftsmen using local materials, and features a signature bamboo roof sculpted to collect rainwater which has fostered agricultural development in the dry, desert area. The heavily-used centre has since been adopted by the community, who have expanded the use of the building beyond what the architects had imagined.
The international jury was comprised of a roster of experts from all reaches of the architectural profession:
- Anne Carrier, founder of Anne Carrier Architecte in Quebec City;
- Stephen Hodder, founder of Hodder Associates in Manchester, UK, and former president of the Royal Insitute of British Architects;
- Barry Johns, founding principal of Barry Johns Architects in Edmonton and Past Chancellor of the RAIC College of Fellows;
- Eva Matsuzaki, co-founder of Matsuzaki Wright Architects in Vancouver, founder of Women in Architecture, and Past President of the RAIC.
- Diarmuid Nash, partner as Moriyama & Teshima Architects in Toronto, Past President of the RAIC, and Chancellor of the RAIC College of Fellows;
- Gilles Saucier, founding partner of Saucier + Perrotte Architects in Montreal;
- and professional advisor to the jury, David Covo, Associate Professor of Architecture and former Director of the School of Architecture at McGill University.
Hariri Pontarini Architects and the Baha'i Temple of South America joins previous RAIC International Prize laureates, the Liyuan Library by Li Xiaodong (2014) and the Fuji Kindergarten by Tezuka Architects (2017).
The RAIC International Prize was founded with the generosity of local architect Raymond Moriyama. Moriyama initially did not wish to have his name attached to the prize, but with permission, the RAIC chose to offer it in his name for the inaugural editions to boost its profile. In a moving tribute at this year's gala to Moriyama, it was explained since the prize now has solid international recognition, Moriyama kindly asked to have his name removed from the prize as originally intended, and the RAIC has obliged. The award is thus known now simply as the RAIC International Prize.
We will return in two years with the next recipient of the prestigious award, so keep your eyes open for transformative projects around the world, but for now, Canada can celebrate a local architect receiving the prize.
