International Architecture Competition

Pape Bird
Observation
Tower

Results

Foreword

Competition organisers

Pape Bird 
Observation 
Tower

Official Partners

Pape Bird 
Observation 
Tower

The Pape Nature Park in south-western Latvia opened in 2003 with the ambition of protecting the region’s wetlands. The nearly-11,000-hectare park includes important nesting grounds for 250 species of migrating birds within the marshes situated at the limit between the Papes Lake and the sea.

The Pape Bird Observation Tower competition is the first of a series to be organised by Bee Breeders in collaboration with the support of Pasaules Dabas Fonds, Latvia’s leading nature conservation fund. Here, participants were challenged with designing a new bird observation station, to replace an existing structure built in 1966 and destroyed by fire. The jury evaluated entries based on a number of factors, including sensitivity to the environment, potential to serve as a landmark, functionality, constructability and economy.

The observation tower will be used primarily to record annual migratory habits of an estimated 50,000 birds, as well as to allow park visitors the opportunity to observe the park’s natural resources. In this light the jury considered functionality and sustainability critical. First, the proposed structure must permit users the ability to observe birds and other migratory animals in a manner that is simultaneously protective –visitors must be concealed to some level from frightening off animals – and open to 360-degree views. Second, the observation tower must have the capacity to be built with minimal disruption to the Paper Nature Park habitat.

Participants were asked to follow strict size guidelines. The observation tower must have a maximum height of 11m and at least two observation platforms. Despite these constraints, the jury found that entries proposed a wide and exciting variety of enclosure materials and structural forms. Modularity played a key factor in the majority of submissions, as did ease of construction within the difficult marshland setting. Designs also included a number of striking raised walkway designs for connectivity from the nature trail to the observation tower.

Each of the winning entries has the capacity to become an important architectural landmark and observational tool for the park. The high quality of the six honorable mentions reflects the outstanding level of work submitted across the board. Bee Breeders would like to thank each entrant for their participation and hard work.

1st Prize Winner

Project name

Interwoven with the landscape

Authors

Berta Risueño Muzás
Manuel Pareja Abascal

Spain

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Participating in competitions is a perfect opportunity to face this challenge, developing new ideas, evolving personal perspectives, acquiring new capacities and tools. To achieve this, each new project must be faced with accuracy, curiosity and the will to surprise and be surprised.

Jury feedback summary

The form of this entry is simultaneously reminiscent of a bird’s nest and a jewel box – both of which bring to mind delicacy and intricacy, yet also protection. The jury was especially enthusiastic about the unique –and completely achievable – use of rope on timber frame as the primary element of enclosure. While the rope may require further density to achieve some level of concealment, it is a sustainable and economical material that is easy to transport. Fabrication of the project could be completed off or on site, allowing for easy construction and also straightforward maintenance or replacement. The design is among the boldest of the submissions to this competition.

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

Pape Bird Observation Tower

Authors

Jeffrey Clancy

United States

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

I enjoy the creative freedom that these competitions allow. While daily practice is incredibly rewarding, competitions such as this offer a chance to exercise my mind and explore design problems that I might not otherwise have the opportunity to delve into. They provide me the opportunity to research and explore a place and context that I may not otherwise have explored. I enjoy that. And I enjoy seeing other solutions to the same problem.

Jury feedback summary

An important factor of parkland conservation is the necessity to share with visitors the wonders of nature, so that society, too, feels the need to protect its fragile and priceless resources. This project shows great potential to promote such interaction. With eye-level panoramic views and built-in seating, the submission invites lengthy and comfortable visits, camouflaging users so as not to alarm flying birds or wandering animals on the ground. The jury feels it is unfortunate that the entry does not take advantage of the 11m height limit to permit views from this maximum elevation, yet it finds the design’s somber form and color, timber structure, and enclosure of burnt wood convincing and feasible. The submission’s graphics are exceptional in their simplicity – such austerity makes clear the project’s intention to function without being an impedance on the Pape Nature Park. A ground level platform also shows sensitivity to observers who may not wish to climb to the level above.

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

Līnija

Authors

Simon Barret
Hugo Ramos-Guerrero
Tom Mestiri
Chloé Meyer

France

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

We believe those open architecture vision competitions aim to reveal the liberty of conception, the freedom of questioning an architectural, social, geographical, cultural, political problem or context. It allows us to push forward through the boundaries of what the day-to-day architectural practice has to offer. It pushes beyond our practice to extend to global problems of a punctual question. In this way, it allows us to integrate the research in our professional practice and develop a scientific approach to any question. Furthermore, these competitions allow us to assert our ideas, envies and potential as young architects.

Jury feedback summary

The design is comprised of two rectangular walls which appear opaque at acute and obtuse angles yet dematerialize at the perpendicular. The overall effect is striking and functional. It allows for clear views to the marshlands at all points within the enclosure while also screening animals from easily seeing visitors. The form is powerful and offers multiple levels of viewing platforms. Construction sequence is not entirely clear in the submission drawings, but given the planar form of the building and use of metallic grilles as the primary building element, fabrication, modularity and structural integrity are not expected to be problematic. The entry shows great promise as a landmark within the park.

BB STUDENT AWARD

Project name

Halat

Authors

Alicem Öztürk
Konuralp Senol

University

Bilgi university
+76 points Buildner University Rankings!

Turkey

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

In order to gain experience as students. Also we like to have an area where we can express our interest in parametric design techniques.
BB GREEN AWARD

Project name

Gnomon

Authors

Reza Aliabadi
Arman Ghafouri - Azar

Canada

Why do you enter architecture
competitions?

Currently, all of our ongoing projects are in Canada and to be specific in the Greater Toronto area; so we are trying to explore new contexts.

Honorable mentions

VIEWclose HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Project Name

Poles & Pillars

Country

Hungary

Project authors

Bogi Kovács
Anna Gassner
Zsolt Krausz

Project Name

No more, no less

Country

Germany

Project authors

Christian Schunke
Anna Bugoslavska

Project Name

the man's high nest

Company

Nyxo

Country

United Kingdom

Project authors

Mirko Daneluzzo
Michele Daneluzzo
Cristian Li Voi

Project Name

Pape Spiral

Country

Netherlands

Project authors

Geoffrey James Eberle
Thomas Sebastian Krall

Project Name

VAV Pape Bird Observation Tower

Country

Poland

Project authors

Weronika Kogut
Karolina Toporkiewicz

Project Name

Cyclops

Country

Portugal

Project authors

Ana Rita Gomes

Shortlisted projects

VIEWclose Shortlisted projects

Finland

Tampere University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
atso airola

Turkey

Bilgi University

+76 points Buildner University Rankings!
alicem Öztürk
konuralp senol

Canada

Toronto Metropolitan University - TMU

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
liam van steekelenburg
mitchell cairns-spicer
phil fors
arnel espanol

South Africa

Daffonchio architects

enrico daffonchio

Canada

Toronto Metropolitan University - TMU

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
dan rubenzahl
gabriel ramirez
mariam el zein
farah elmajdoub

United Kingdom

Nyxo

mirko daneluzzo
michele daneluzzo
cristian li voi

Turkey

oguzhan zeytinoglu
burcu tasli
cansu celikkaya
duygu kisacik

Colombia

juan carlos naranjo
daniel pineda

Canada

Toronto Metropolitan University - TMU

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
noeline tharshan
francesca cuda
amanda nalli
christian iannantuono

Netherlands

geoffrey james eberle
thomas sebastian krall

Spain

berta risueño muzás
manuel pareja abascal

New Zealand

Beca

umer qaiser
matias kaufman
kirsten ibasc

Canada

reza aliabadi
arman ghafouri - azar

United Kingdom

alexander gaul
morgan wild

United States

Galbraith carnahan architects

brandon reinke
john annis

France

jean-baptiste petit
jordi rosas

Singapore

Lekker architects pte ltd

ker-shing ong
joshua comaroff
shunann chen
oscar korintus

Poland

weronika kogut
karolina toporkiewicz

Lithuania

andrius daujotas
tautvilė džiugytė

France

simon barret
hugo ramos-guerrero
tom mestiri
chloé meyer

Germany

christian schunke
anna bugoslavska

Finland

suvi saastamoinen
simo lahtinen

Hungary

bogi kovács
anna gassner
zsolt krausz

United States

gautam palav
ingrid bengtson

Norway

joana branco
enya aspen
saulius bulavas
einar fuglesteg

United States

Illinois Institute of Technology

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
jiaming 'jamie' sun
chen ding
ye su

Italy

alessandro sperduti
mattia brambilla

Brazil

sarkis semerdjian
domingos pascali
leopoldo schettino
 

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