The fifth round of the Fritz Höger Award 2020 for Brick Architecture has once again impressively demonstrated this: Brick today is a building material that is both tradition-conscious and modern - with enormous potential for modern design and sustainable construction. The many international submissions to the competition emphasise this in a variety of ways.
All the projects have one thing in common: brick is always used to create buildings of the highest quality in terms of design and craftsmanship. Rich in tradition, flexible and innovative, Wittmunder Klinker pursues the goal of supporting architects and building owners in the realisation of their ideas.
When the winners were announced on 18 January 2021, two projects using Wittmunder Klinker bricks each won one of the coveted awards: The "Building-integrated rooftop greenhouse and administration building at Altmarkt in Oberhausen" by KUEHNMALVEZZI Architects was honoured with gold as the best project in the "Energy efficiency" category. In addition to its function as a job centre, it provides a green urban design with a rooftop greenhouse and public garden. The "Haus am Deich" by Thomas Kröger Architekten GmbH also received a nomination in the "Single-family house/duplex" category.
With 586 entries from 35 foreign countries, the competition organised by the Building with Brick Initiative is now one of the largest German and European architecture awards. The expert jury consisting of Susanne Wartzeck (President of the BDA), Kaye Geipel (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Bauwelt), Florian Zierer (Grand Prix winner of the Fritz Höger Award 2017, Caruso St John Architects), Christoph Ingenhoven (ingenhoven architects) and Anja Fröhlich (AFF architekten) once again honoured exemplary brick buildings that combine the highest architectural standards of design and functionality.
About the Fritz Höger Award for Brick Architecture
The Fritz Höger Award for Brick Architecture, which comes with prize money totalling 10,000 euros, has been awarded every three years in cooperation with the Association of German Architects (BDA) since it was first launched in 2008. It now enjoys great international resonance. Architects and planners who utilise the architectural potential of the tried and tested building material brick are honoured. Brick buildings are sought that fulfil high overall planning requirements in terms of economic, ecological and design aspects and have dealt appropriately with the existing building and its surroundings. Interested parties can find out more about the Fritz Höger Award for Brick Architecture on the award's new website fritz-hoeger-preis.com.