Architecture-wise? Maybe. Value for money? Hell no
The Forum Groningen has a been nominated for an architecture prize. The shiny 70 million euro monolith (which was 2 years late) has a chance of claiming the Industry Association for Dutch Architectural Firms’ (BNA) ‘Best Building’ prize. Nine other buildings have been nominated. As reported by the GIC.
The jury sees the Forum as “a multifunctional building, a cultural” department store “full of books and images, with exhibition spaces, cinemas and catering. The giant building controversially replaced a number of local libraries, centralising their stock and providing fewer study spaces than the previous Forum buildings.
The BNA says that the library is a “living room”; a place for meeting and debate. The building uniquely unites cultural experiences around a public stacked landscape, which ends in a square on the roof.”
The Forum is classified in the Liveability & Social Cohesion category, which also includes Domusdela public complex in Eindhoven and Fenix 1 (an apartment scheme) in Rotterdam.
Ultimately, four category winners will be designated and one building will be the best in the Netherlands. Initially, 103 projects were submitted, of which ten have now been nominated.
The winner of the title will be announced on October 22.
Image via the Forum
