This year, the Museum received a record number of projects for new buildings, landscape architecture, and urban planning from the most important firms practicing globally.

- We are honoured to receive this award. It has been a pleasure to work with such a community-driven project, where our design approach which integrates urban space and architecture has been able to truly make a difference for the widest possible user group, says Julian Weyer, partner and architect at C.F. Møller Architects.

The Heart in Ikast
‘The Heart’ in Ikast is a new meeting point centred round culture and communication, where relationships between various societal and age groups can be formed and maintained. ‘The Heart’ combines education, counselling, activities, community, exercise and recreational pursuits in new ways, with buildings and outdoor areas designed to promote inclusive and integrative social and cultural meetings and gatherings.

It includes a multi-purpose building, as well as an activity park, to create a new relation to the neighbouring Business College HHX Ikast, Ikast Brande upper secondary school, the teacher training college, and the International School Ikast-Brande, which was also designed by C.F. Møller.

The building itself, designed as a jumble of small “houses” stacked together, combines sports- and event-halls with multi-functional and educational facilities, socio-economic work opportunities such as café, shop and organic farming as a freely accessible community space for all citizens. The surrounding activities landscape is designed around sustainable drainage principles and includes very active pursuits such as a skate bowl and flowskate parc, a cycle pump-track, parkour facilities and playgrounds, beach volley pits and a multi-use playing field; as well as more quiet and shared activities such as spots for petanque, picnics and campfires.

About The International Award
Since 2004, The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, together with The European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press, Ltd. have organized The International Architecture Awards as a way in which to honor the best, significant new buildings, landscape architecture, and planning projects designed and/or built around the world’s leading architects, landscape architects, and urban planners practicing nationally and internationally. The International Architectural Awards are the highest and most prestigious distinguished building awards program that honour new and cutting-edge design. The annual program, organized by both institutions, also promotes international architecture and design to a global audience.

The Heart in Ikast
The International Architecture Awards