Esbjerg Maritime Center awarded building of the year in Denmark
Last week, the Esbjerg Maritime Center was announced winner of this year’s Building Awards in the category building of the year in Denmark. The project is a collaboration with Werk architects in Copenhagen, and opened earlier this year.
"The design of Esbjerg Maritime Centre is inspired from our long, shared history of expert boat craftsmanship and maritime culture in Norway and Denmark. It is a circular and inclusive building in wood, inspired by the shapes of boats, giving homage to the rich, shared history between Norway and Denmark," says Frank Denis Foray, Snøhetta lead architect for the project.
Three awards in three weeks
However, this is not the first win for the building dubbed “The Lantern”, which provides a maritime social hub and architectural landmark for the seaport town on the Danish west coast.
Last month, the maritime center also secured two distinguished awards in quick succession. First, it was named the winner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities's (IAKS) International Architectural Competition under the category Specialized Facilities for sports, leisure, and recreation.
The following day, it was awarded the Danish Wood Award 2023. This award, regarded as Denmark's oldest and most esteemed architectural prize, was a testament to the center's commitment to excellence in a fiercely competitive field that included five other finalist projects.
