AWARD FOR STUDENT WORK
Chapel in Mental Hospital Complex Pruszków , Mazowieckie , Poland Zofia Jemioło
This chapel within a Pruszków mental health complex reflects the history of the area and the needs of hospital patients and residents . The space centers on sacred objects . Located within a conservation protection zone , the chapel serves as a publicly accessible park .
The sacred building has been divided into three zones . The chapel wall surrounds the garden , with the chapel in the center . The cross is visible at the entrance and from inside the chapel against the greenery . The corridor , designed as a closed circuit , guides visitors to the chapel and symbolic icons .
The sunken chapel features panoramic windows at ground level , and its roof contains a skylight supported by four columns . With a concrete and wood structure , the brick façade refers in material and design to the historical brick buildings in the complex . In the interior , the underground space is for people , and the roof symbolizes God and heaven . The interior is finished with clay plaster combined with straw chaff , natural materials symbolic of the creation of man from clay . Icons decorate the walls of the corridor and chapel and are intended to accompany visitors through the stages of the path in prayer and reflection .
JURY COMMENTS :
This student design project is conceptually whole with a lot of depth . The research in this project is impressive , integrating spirituality with mental health . The design is very thoughtful and intentional , supports the clinical work of the hospital , and expresses the intersection of healing and spiritual guidance . The drawings are seductive .
AWARD FOR FAITH COMMUNITY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT : VISUAL ARTS , PERFORMING ARTS , AND OTHER CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS
Sukkah Village 2021 Princeton , NJ Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design , LLC
A sukkah is a temporary , hut-like dwelling originally built by the Jews during the forty years of travel in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt . They are built annually for Sukkot , a weeklong autumn holiday that celebrates the shelter of our homes and bodies . The idea for a community Sukkah Village based on an architectural design competition was executed over a four-year period . The competing teams designed kosher sukkah and were provided a stipend to construct them . The sukkah had to be transportable and demountable , incorporate nature , provide shade , and draw the eye toward the sky . Ten teams partnered with nineteen nonprofit organizations to draw attention to social issues , and they created modern sukkah designs for today .
During the ten-day public event , the main Sukkah Village at the Jewish Center of Princeton was home to six sukkahs . Sukkahs also popped up at prominent locations around town , such as places of worship , popular green spaces , and community centers . In the months following the event , $ 20,000 in donations and auction proceeds were distributed to community agencies . In subsequent years , the auctioned sukkahs will be erected by their new owners , allowing the celebration to continue in a sustainable way .
JURY COMMENTS : This is a community-based project , reaching out to engage local people with visual art and creativity . It brings the community together through the making of architecture . The project is ambitious , well intended , and beautifully designed and executed .
Alexandra Nita Zofia Jemioło
28 SACRED PLACES • SUMMER 2023