Winner of the tenth DuPont Benedictus Award (organised in collaboration with the AIA) is Dutch architect Dirk Jan Postel, based in Rotterdam. His '‘Talus du Temple’, a small summer residence in the heart of the French countryside outside the town of Avallon, impressed the jury for its elegant and innovative structure. The building is uninterrupted by any element and the cantilevered roof (which weights 2000 kg) is held up by just two laminated glass panels fixed into the ground.
The context for the building is not just natural but also historical, the building was an ancient tower dating back to the eighteenth century, nicknamed by the architect ‘le temple de l’amour’ because it was situated close to an octagonal pavilion where the princess of Orange used to meet her lover.
Another three projects which received a special mention were the TGV station in Avignon, designed by Jean-Marie Duthilleul, Francois Bonnefille, Etienne Tricaud; the church of Notre Dame de Pentecôte in the Defense area of Paris by Franck Hammoutene and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo by Kiyoshi Sakurai, Tadashi Yamane, Ken Yoshimura, Shigeru Yoshino and Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
Registration is open for the 2003 edition until March of next year, the award is aimed at professionals (architects and designers) or students.
https://www.dupontbenedictus.com
Dirk Jan Postel wins the DuPont Benedictus Award

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- 07 June 2002
