The jury for the awards is chaired by the architect Francisco Mangado, who has been honored with a Gold Medal for Fine Arts and is a member of the Academy of Architecture of France. He is joined by the renowned designer and interior decorator, Francesc Rifé.
Following the success of its inaugural event, the second edition of the “APE Grupo Architecture Awards” kicks off today. These awards, organized by the ceramic company APE Grupo, aim to recognize and highlight the work of architects and interior designers who have featured APE Grupo’s ceramics in their projects.
The president of the jury for this edition is the distinguished architect Francisco Mangado, who has received accolades such as the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, among others. He is accompanied on the jury by the esteemed designer and interior decorator Francesc Rifé, and the architect Susana Babiloni, president of the College of Architects of Castellón.
The “APE Grupo Architecture Awards” are open to both Spanish and international professionals and projects, with works that can be new architectural and interior design constructions or the rehabilitation of existing spaces. Specific spaces within a home, building, or project that are part of a built or renovated ensemble are also eligible for the award.
The prize includes a monetary award of 5,000 euros, and the deadline for submitting proposals and documentation is November 12. The submitted works must be completed and must use ceramic materials from APE Grupo. All details about the awards can be found at www.apegrupo.com/architectureawards.
The outcomes of the awards’ first edition were notable for the rich use of ceramics in the presented works and their international dimension, which included projects from countries such as the Philippines, Costa Rica, Belarus, France, and Spain, among others.
The winning project was “Vitápolis,” a co-living space for seniors located in Toledo, Spain, and developed by Romero&Vallejo studio. The jury was composed of the award-winning Italian architect Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT Architects), Tomás Alía (Caramba Studio), and the College of Architects of Castellón.
These awards are part of a series of initiatives aimed at fostering a forward-looking perspective between the professional world and contemporary ceramics by APE Grupo. In this context, APE Grupo has launched a series of architecture conferences called “Ágora Inspiring Talks,” featuring renowned architects such as Emilio Tuñón, Benedetta Tagliabue, Iñaki Ábalos, Rafael de la Hoz, and Carlos Lamela.
Among its other activities, APE Grupo also conducts an annual study on interior space trends, titled “The New Habitat: how the spaces we inhabit are changing.” This project has gained recognition among professionals in the field and has become an essential reference.
More information about the jury members:
Francisco Mangado (Navarra, 1957), is an architect and economist who has been a visiting professor at numerous prestigious institutions worldwide and has received numerous awards for his work, including the “International Fellow” of the RIBA and honorary member of the AIA. He founded the Architecture and Society Foundation, which received the gold medal from the CSCAE in 2015.
Francesc Rifé (Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, 1969) is an interior designer and industrial designer whose work encompasses interior design projects, industrial design, and architecture. Influenced by minimalism and a family history tied to craftsmanship, his work focuses on spatial order and geometric proportion. Rifé has worked on notable projects and has received several design awards throughout his career.