The inaugural Silver Pigeon Award has been awarded to the Embassy of Japan for the strength of their project in the International Architecture Showcase 2010 with their exhibition 'IE ≈ Home', involving work by young Japanese architects working in London: Hiroki Kakizoe, Masaki Kakizoe, Akira Kindo, Tokuichiro Oba, and Michiko Sumi. The winning entry particularly impressed the judges for the sensitive and finely crafted way in which it explored issues of identity and migration and suggested new hybrid typologies for living in the 21st century city.
Run in partnership between the British Council and The Architecture Foundation, The International Architecture Showcase, now in its third year, is an established part of the London Festival of Architecture. The success of the project in previous years and the creativity of the countries involved in the Showcase inspired the introduction of an element of competition; the Silver Pigeon Award, so called as a tribute to the 'Golden Lion' at Venice, London's Trafalgar Square being famous for its pigeons.
Other highly commended projects were the Embassy of Brazil for 'Swarming Futures', curated by Ricardo de Ostos, and the Hungarian Cultural Centre for 'Anatomy of a Street', curated by Eszter Steierhoffer. The Embassy of Japan, Brazil and the Hungarian Culture Centre's projects will feature in August's edition of The Architectural Review, giving them the opportunity to profile their exhibitions and events to an international audience.
The panel for the Silver Pigeon Award included: Tom Dyckhoff, Architecture critic, The Times; Sarah Ichioka, Director, The Architecture Foundation; Catherine Ince, Curator, Barbican Art Gallery; Julie Lomax, Head of Visual Arts, Arts Council England; Nigel Earp, Project Director, Land Securities; Vicky Richardson, Director Architecture, Design, Fashion, British Council (Chair); Cathy Slessor, Editor, The Architectural Review; Yuli Toh, Toh Shimazaki Architecture (exhibitor As part of the AF coordinated Friday Late on 2 July, cultural institutions from Tate Modern to the Design Museum will be throwing open their doors with architectural programme, in celebration of the LFA's southern focus.
Image by Agnese Sanvito, courtesy of London Festival of Architecture