Architizer, a well-known native advertising platform for architects and designers, has announced the selection for the A+Awards 2014. The international jury consisting of more than 200 leading lights of the industry such as Liz Diller, Steven Holl and Bjarke Ingels, has selected five finalists in each of the over 60 categories available.This year, the finalists include two architectural offices from Finland. The Kilden Performing Arts Centre (Kristiansand, Norway, 2011) by ALA Architects is nominated in the Theatres and Performing Arts category. The Arctia Headquarters (Helsinki, Finland, 2013) by K2S Architects has achieved success in the Office Building Low Rise (1-4 Floors) typology category.
It is great to be selected among the A+Awards 2014 finalists. It is always tough to gain international recognition. The standards and the amount of quality architecture are constantly increasing.
— Mikko Summanen, partner, K2S Architects
We are working hard to become a more international practice. Awards and listings like this are one way of spreading the word about our projects, ideas and capabilities. There are hundreds of high quality architecture firms in the world, but not many young practices with our range of large, serious projects.
— Antti Nousjoki, partner, ALA Architects
The public has the final say about the winner. Architizer A+ Popular Choice Award is based on public voting which is open from 2 to 21 March 2014.The Arctia Headquarters has also been selected in the Finnish Architecture Biennial Review 2014 by the Museum of Finnish Architecture. In 2012, the Kilden Performing Arts Centre was presented in the Seven Connections exhibition of contemporary Finnish architecture also organised by the Museum of Finnish Architecture. ALA Architects won the State Prize for Architecture in 2012.The Kilden Performing Arts Centre by ALA Architects has been published in the Finnish Architecture Review issues 5/2007 and 1/2012. The Arctia Shipping Headquarters by K2S Architects has been published in issue 1/2014.
