The Governor General?s Medals remain at the pinnacle of the many honours and awards that recognize architecture in Canada. Every two years, they showcase exceptional work by Canadian architects, as chosen by a peer jury. Each cycle covers a relatively long time span?buildings up to seven years old can be entered?meaning that projects can shine at their best, after final adjustments have been made and landscaping has grown in.
This year?s winning projects are remarkable in many ways, not least among which is the stellar showing made by public projects. For the first time since 1982, when the medals were established, the winners are entirely institutional, government and commercial projects?not a single private residence is among them.
Tenaciousness is often requisite for architecture, but this is especially the case in the face of the tight timelines and budgets of public projects. Bridgepoint Active Healthcare?the first P3 project to garner a Governor General?s Medal?and the Cogeco Amphitheatre are particularly noteworthy for achieving design excellence amidst more than the usual pressures of complex contracts and value engineering. Other projects turned the caprices of public regulations and funding to their advantage. The Wong Dai Sin Temple?s signature cantilever was conceived to fulfill a municipal requirement for a large amount of parking on the compact suburban site. On the University of Manitoba?s campus, ARTlab was a project nimbly mustered from a related commissio...