Once again, the Prism Stone in Architecture Awards were part of Coverings exhibition that took place in Orlando, FL, from April 4 to 7. The competition - conducted annually by Coverings together with the Marble Institute of America and Architectural Record - seeks to recognize innovative and inspired architectural projects where stone was an integral material.
The $10,000 Grand Prize in this year's Prism Awards was presented to a survivor of the 9/11 attacks, as judges honored the work done at the 90 West Street Building in New York, NY, which took a direct hit as the collapsing North Tower of the World Trade Center ripped through its granite facade. The distinguished honor of this year's top prize acknowledges the impressive restoration achieved by Conventional Stone & Marble Corp.
The competition places an emphasis on installations that demonstrated an original use of technology, or successfully combined aesthetics with function in a unique or interesting way.
Judges for this year's program were Rick Nelson, AIA, Booth Hansen Associates, Chicago, IL; Richard Becker, AIA, Becker Architects, Chicago; Steve Burns, AIA, Burns+Beyeri Architects, Inc., Chicago; and, Chuck Muehlbauer, MIA Technical Director.