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BGU Buildings Garner Prestigious Architectural Awards
Prizes Awarded to Los Angeles Architect and BGU Supporter
LOS ANGELES, March 11 , 2009 -- Two buildings at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), designed by Raquel Vert of Los Angeles-based Vert Architects, were awarded first prize in two different categories in the "Best Project of the Year 2008/9 Competition."
Vert Architects received the two prestigious first prizes for outstanding architectural design of the Deichmann Building for Community Action and the Spitzer-Salant Building for the Department of Social Work, which form a single complex at Ben-Gurion University in Beer-Sheva, Israel.
The buildings were awarded first prize for Best Project of 2008/9 by the European Union out of 300 entries from around the world.
This competition is a most prestigious and influential architectural contest in Europe and Israel. The renowned architect Richard Meir was chairman of the international panel of judges.
The BGU complex also received the Yuli Offer first prize for "Advancing Architecture in Israel," a prize awarded to the top three projects submitted for all categories in the Best Project of 2008/9 competition.
In 2004, Vert established a branch office in Israel and was commissioned to design the Spitzer-Salant Building for the Department of Social Work and the Deichmann Building for Community Action on the Marcus Family Campus of the University.
The buildings comprise an integrated complex that defines the entrance to BGU through a piazza that links the town of Beer-Sheva with the campus.
The connection was a priority of the BGU administration in meeting its obligation to reach out to the citizens of the Negev beyond the University boundaries.
According to architect Raquel Vert, "The buildings' form have a bold, playful and sculptural spirit, with a tilted concrete wall sitting in water holding a floating cubic structure and a curved metal wall penetrating the building through sheets of glass, all enforcing a sense of indoor-outdoors.
"Truly, as important as the prestige of these awards, is the knowledge that our design has succeeded in its goal of opening BGU to the city, linking the University's academic life with the history of Beer-Sheva and establishing a cultural core for the entire community," Vert explains.
"We hope that these buildings inspire those who study at BGU to achieve and transmit innovative knowledge to the State of Israel and the global society."
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision, creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. With some 20,000 students on campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sede Boqer and Eilat in Israel’s southern desert, BGU is a university with a conscience, where the highest academic standards are integrated with community involvement, committed to sustainable development of the Negev.
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Media Contact: |
Andrew Lavin |
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