ULI seeks entries for Europe excellence awards

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has issued a call for entries for its 2007 Awards for Excellence in development projects in both the public and private sectors in Europe, the Americas and the Asia Pacific region.

ULI is a non-profit organisation that promotes responsible use of land in the real estate and urban development industries. Its awards, in their 29th year, recognise best practices along the full development process of a project - from design, construction, economic viability, marketing and management.

'With each award, the public becomes more keenly aware of the benefits of superior planning, design, and development, a goal of both the Institute and the development industry,' ULI said. The deadline for entries is February 9, 2007 and each of the three regions have their own fees, schedule and jury. The winners will be announced in May.

The Awards for Excellence Europe program was held for the third time in 2006. Twenty-seven projects in 12 countries were narrowed to the nine finalists from which the winners were chosen. Here is a list of the winners with the developer's name in brackets:

- Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (City of Amsterdam). A 1,000-seat concert hall that is part of a wider development of the former harbour on the IJ River. The jury chose it because it helped transform the obsolete area from an industrial zone to a civic space.

- New Milan Fair Complex, Milan, Italy (Fondazione Fiera Milano). The transformation of a brownfield site between Malpensa airport and downtown Milan into a 200-hectare modern exhibition grounds. It was awarded for expanding the city's exhibition space, relieving center-city congestion and providing the ability to compete globally.

- Potsdamer Platz Arkaden, Berlin, Germany (DaimlerChrysler Immobilien; ECE Projektmanagement GmbH. & Co. KG). The jury said recognised this project as a revitalized symbolic crossroads that transformed a former wasteland into a 40,000 m² shopping boulevard and adds 4,000 parking spaces and a new tram station.

- Tour CBX, Paris la Defense, France (Tishman Speyer). Built on speculation, the jury found that this 34-storey, 44,000 m² office tower projects an iconic image and provides a high-quality working environment.

- Agbar Tower, Barcelona, Spain (Layetana Developments). The jury said this 35-storey office tower 'stands as a lighthouse' in the district. It comprises 33,210 m² above ground on a 4,567 m² site.

For more information on the awards and the application form, click on the link below.