Italian honors for the Darwin Centre
The Darwin Centre Phase two, the extension of the Natural History Museum in London designed by C. F. Møller Architects, receives honorable mention by the Italian Dedalo Minosse International Prize, recognizing good cooperation between client and architect in the constructive process.
The award is promoted by the ALA-Assoarchitetti, the largest association of independent architects and engineers in Italy, in collaboration with the region Regione del Veneto in Northern Italy. The award is unique as its recognizes the positive and stimulating role of the client, in creating good architecture.
Chosen among 700 projects
App. 700 projects from all over the world have participated.
Four of the projects have received an award, 20 gets honorable mention and are selected for an exhibition. The exhibition will be displayed in Centre Studi di Architeettura Andrea Palladio, located in the palace Palazzo Barbaran da Porto in the city of Vicenza. The exhibition lasts until the 18th of September and will afterwards travel around the world. It is the eighth edition of the Dedalo Minosse International Prize, which was founded in 1997.
Cocoon in a glass casket
The Darwin Centre Phase Two takes the form of a huge eight-storey concrete cocoon, surrounded by a glass atrium. The Natural History Museum is both one of the UK's top five visitor attractions, and a world-leading science research centre, housing a unique collection of 17 million insects and 3 million plants.
C. F. Møller Architects was chosen for the commission in 2001, in competition with 59 other international architectural firms.
