Comment of the Holcim Awards 2005 Jury for Europe
The innovative proposal for the reuse of an abandoned facility - former slaughterhouse - is commended for invigorating new life in a historical setting. Specifically worthy of merit is the notion of site recycling that offers a collective function and works to regenerate connections with the city.
Considerable effort has been invested to achieve equilibrium. Social equity is supported at all stages of the construction, from planning and building process to assessing the long-term impact on the social fabric of the community.
Not only are the immediate surroundings addressed in an advanced manner, but also the nature of production as well as of the production themselves. Instead of pursuing a purely profit oriented direct, the project signals genuine respect for ethical values by promoting the use of biological products as well as fair trade.
Also significant is that the collective initiative inspires active participation of public stakeholders in discussions with architects, planners, and politicians, an integrative incentive that is novel for the specific context and thus needs to be encouraged. The alteration to the existing structure is carefully undertaken to deliver a culturally rich program of activities.