We are delighted to announce the winner of our Rocco Forte Hotels Architecture Prize for 2019, selected by Rocco Forte Hotels’ Director of Design and a member of the Summer Exhibition Judges’ Panel, Olga Polizzi.
This year’s Summer Exhibition theme, chosen by Spencer de Grey RA, is A Sustainable World, with entries exploring the possibilities for an environmentally sustainable agenda in creative design. Our £5,000 prize was dedicated to an ‘outstanding work of architectural design’ within this category, and has been awarded to:
Threefold Architects, FROM FOREST TO FAÇADE, A WOODLANDS SURVEY
Of the work, Olga Polizzi says, “This beautiful, expressive drawing clearly displays a thought process for sustainable building based on research and innovation. From the sketch of the proposed house, to the site survey drawings and calculations of the relationship between forestry, trees and building materials, it demonstrates an inspiring, holistic design approach by an emerging architectural practice.”
A key influencer in sustainable design and architecture, Olga Polizzi designed Verdura Resort together with acclaimed Italian architect Flavio Albanese. Featuring handicrafts by local artisans, including kiln-fired ceramic tiles and mosaics, and authentic Sicilian materials such as natural stone and locally sourced bamboo, their designs were informed by a sound eco-conscious ethos. They included solar panels to provide electricity and power the water recycling facilities, which are key in the relatively dry Sicilian climate. Verdura Resort also implemented a no-car policy to protect the natural landscape and ecosystem. For its superlative design and ecological practices, Verdura Resort was awarded the EHMA Sustainability Award shortly after its completion.
To view the Summer Exhibition 2019 as part of a stay at Brown’s, please call +44 207 493 6020 or email reservations.browns@roccofortehotels.com
In the early 20th century, Munich was a hotbed of artistic innovation. Amid shifting social landscapes, a new school emerged from an intense exchange of ideas that would shape the trajectory of modern art: Der Blaue Reiter, or The Blue Rider. This avant-garde collective left an indelible mark on modern art with their radical departure from tradition and bold exploration of colour and spirituality.
Agrigento’s roots run as deep as the gnarled olive trees that dot its landscape, stretching back over 2,500 years to its founding as Akragas, one of the greatest cities of the ancient Greek world. Set against a breathtaking coastline, this once thriving cultural and political hub was praised by the Greek poet Pindar as “the most beautiful city of mortals”. Today, this splendour is immortalised in the Valley of the Temples.
In 1925, a world still shell-shocked from the ravages of World War I found renewal in a burgeoning artistic movement: Art Deco. It reflected motion, progress, the future. Immediately embraced by famed Belgian architect Victor Horta, he laid the foundations for Art Deco in Brussels with his plans for the Centre of Fine Arts (Bozar). This marked the inception of a radically modern approach to architecture and art in the city. Now, as Brussels marks a century of Art Deco style, it’s the perfect time to explore this distinctly walkable city with your own budding artists.
