Ginjols, 3
E-12003, Castellón (SPAIN)
P.O. Box 1020
E-12080, Castellón (SPAIN)
Phone: +34 964 72 72 00
Fax:
+34 964 72 72 12
PRESS RELEASE
comunicacion@ascer.es
www.ceramicadeespaña.es
Castellón, 25th November, 2009
The project “Benidorm West Beach Promenade” wins the
VIIIth Tile of Spain Awards of Architecture and Interior Design
organized by ASCER

The panel of judges highlighted about the winning project that "ceramics employed
in the paving as part of a standardized detail permits a fluid effect "

"Restoration of the House of Condestable in Pamplona" is the winner in the
category of interior design

"Gran Reserva. Buried Bodega in Rioja" by Mauro Gonzalez Tercero, unanimously
won in the category of Degree Project
Architecture
First Prize: "Benidorm West Beach Promenade” by Carlos Ferrater and Xavier Martí Galí (OAB, Office of
Architecture in Barcelona).
Outstanding work: "First Aid Module" by MMAMB / Marius Quintana.
Interior design
First Prize: "Restoration of the House of Condestable in Pamplona" by Tabuenca & Leach Architects
Degree Project
First Prize: "Gran Reserva. Buried Bodega in Rioja" by Mauro Gonzalez Tercero (School of Architecture of
Madrid)
Honorable Mentions:
"Sea Observatory in Hoek van Holland" by Carlos Garcia Fernandez (School of Architecture of Madrid)
"Cultural center + Canoeing School in Redondela" by Laura Fidalgo Soto (School of Architecture of A
Coruña)
(11/25/2009).- The jury of the VIIIth Tile of Spain Awards of Architecture and Interior Design, chaired by
the English critic and historian William JR Curtis, has unanimously decided to give the First Prize in the
category of Architecture - with a monetary award of 20,000 Euros- to the project of Carlos Ferrater and
Xavier Martí Galí (from OAB - Office of Architecture in Barcelona) "Benidorm West Beach Promenade”.
The jury emphasizes that “the project explores the notion of an artificial landscape devoted to leisure. It
inserts a new geometric order between the chaos of Benidorm and the beach and the sea. Employing
geometrical systems based upon the abstraction of wave motion it creates a series of bays along the beach
and, at the upper level, balconies for enjoying the promenade and views. Ceramics employed in the paving
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as part of a standardized detail permits a fluid effect, intensified by the different colors used. Ceramic is used
here as a central element in a large public work, in combination with concrete, vegetation, sand and sea."
The panel of judges also wanted to highlight as an Outstanding Work in the Architecture category the project
"First Aid Module" designed by MMAMB / Màrius Quintana. According to the jury, "the project deals with
the modest problem of beach cabines in an inventive way combining simplicity of construction, colour and a
certain “joie de vivre”.”
In the Interior Design category, the First Prize has been given to the project "Restoration of the House of
Condestable in Pamplona" by Tabuenca & Leach Architects. The jury highlighted that “the project
addresses a recurrent problem: the combination of modern and traditional forms and materials in the context
of a restoration and renovation of an old building. It succeeds in integrating steel, concrete, wood, stone and
traditional tiles in an ensemble which avoids regression into folklore on the one hand and an aggressive
conflict of new and old on the other."
Degree Project Prize
Finally, ASCER’s Ceramics Awards have a category intended to distinguish the best Degree Projects
performed by students from Architecture Schools. In these cases, the use of ceramics must also play an
important role.
The jury agreed to award with the First Prize the project "Gran Reserva. Buried Bodega in Rioja" by
Mauro Gonzalez Tercero (School of Architecture of Madrid). The project has been selected for several
reasons:
• the subtle reading of urban and landscape contexts at several scales
• the thoroughness of the project in accommodating the program
• the clarity and detail of the presentation
• the integration of ceramics as part of the fabrication of the building and as a manifestation of an idea
• the investigation of ceramics as part of an architectural heritage, with geological, historical and other
references
The jury also distinguished with two Honorable Mentions the projects "Sea Observatory in Hoek van Holland"
by Carlos Garcia Fernandez (School of Architecture of Madrid) and "Cultural center + Canoeing School in
Redondela" by Laura Fidalgo Soto (School of Architecture of A Coruña).
Important prizes and winners every year
The two main categories of Tile of Spain Awards (Architecture and Interior Design) have a monetary award
for their First Prize of € 20,000 each. The Awards also have another € 10,000 endowment for Honorable
Mentions left to the discretion of the jury.
As mentioned above, there is also an Award for Degree Projects for students of architecture, endowed with €
10,000. The Awards are sponsored by Vodafone Spain, Gas Natural and the Port of Valencia.
This year's jury was chaired by William JR Curtis, historian, critic, writer, painter and photographer, who has
received numerous awards for his work and has lectured extensively around the world. Combining his work
as a writer and essayist, Curtis has regularly exhibited his paintings, reliefs and photographs all over the
world. The rest of the jury was made up of renowned architects such as Martha Thorne, Carme Pinós, Juan
Domingo Santos, Ramon Vilalta, in addition to the prestigious interior designer Francesc Rife, and the Dean
of the College of Architects of Valencia, Ramón Monfort.
To this VIIIth edition of the Tile of Spain Awards 127 projects were presented among the three categories.
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The Awards have experienced in the last years a significant evolution due to the increasing quality of the
projects submitted and also to its growing popularity.
Some of the distinguished works in the latest editions in the architecture category have been the renovation
of Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona (by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue, EMBT Architects), the
Peñiscola Conference Centre (by Paredes-Pedrosa Arquitectos), the Castilla-La Mancha Archives (by
Guillermo Vazquez Consuegra) the remodelling of San Vicente Street in Burriana, Castellon (by José Durán)
and the Spanish Pavilion at Expo Zaragoza 2008 (by Francisco Mangado).
For further information contact:
ASCER
e-mail: comunicacion@ascer.es
http://www.spaintiles.info ; www.tileofspainawards.com
Phone: +34 964 72 72 00
C.I.F. G-12022687 - Oficina Central de Depósito de Estatutos de Organizaciones Profesionales - Ley 19/1977 - Depósito núm. 540 - 20.07.77
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