European Prize of Architecture 2017 : "Water, Architecture and The Town"

Vincent Callebaut Architectures is proud to be the Special Prize Winner of the "EUROPEAN PRIZE OF ARCHITECTURE" Philippe Rotthier 2017 with our project "AEQUOREA, an oceanscraper 3D-printed from the seventh continent's garbage" !

Water, today a precious and strategic resource, has long been present in towns and cities in the form of rivers and canals, lakes and fountains. A presence giving rise to works of architecture and public spaces… to watermills and bridges, to reservoirs and aqueducts, to pools and fountains, to supply systems and distribution networks. Water is also intimately linked to parks and gardens, the inspiration for landscaping and an entire architecture that highlights its presence (waterfalls, grottos, ponds, etc.)

Many towns are also linked directly to the shores of seas, oceans and large lakes, giving rise to a variety of architecture associated with leisure resorts and maritime activities (quays, warehouses, dockyards and slipways).

Today, growing ecological awareness and the fight against waste has placed water back on the agenda. Towns are opening up old canals that had been filled in and, more generally, architecture and landscape projects include requirements in favour of recycling water.