Winners to Be Announced at ULI’s Trends Conference in Amsterdam

For more information, contact:
Trisha Riggs at 202/624-7086; [email protected]

LONDON (April 6, 2010) — Eight outstanding developments have been selected as finalists in the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Awards for Excellence: Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) competition, widely recognized as the land use industry’s most prestigious recognition program. The winners of the competition will be announced June 22 at ULI’s Trends Conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The 2011 finalists, selected from an impressive collection of entries representing countries across EMEA, demonstrate holistic urban design and sustainability principles, said jury chair Andrew Gould, chief executive, English business, Jones Lang LaSalle, London. “They represent some examples of tremendous innovation and thoughtful approaches to urban design and regeneration in retail, office, mixed-use, as well as education and civic uses.”

The finalists (developers and architects in parentheses) are:

• ENER[GIE]NGER Munich, Germany (Developer: Wilhelm Gienger VerwaltungsGmbH; Architect: peterlorenz ateliers) – An office and retail development of 2.600-square metres opened in 2009 in Munich, based on the idea of an “energy spiral” which creatively allows light to move inside the building. The development places great importance on sustainability with a 250-square metre solar panel, and a combined heat and power plant for electro and thermal energy.
• Kaufhaus Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria (Developer: SIGNA Development Immobilien Entwicklungs GmbH; Architects: David Chipperfield Architects in cooperation with Dieter Mathoi Architekten) – This mixed use project, opened in March 2010, is situated in the heart of the pedestrian area of Innsbruck. On the site of a Department store dating from 1908, this building maintains the historic frame of the structure in a medieval city, while providing a contemporary retail space of 33,000-square metres.
• KAUST (King Abdullah University), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia (Developer: Aramco; Architect: HOK) – Situated on the Coast of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia on a 55 million square foot campus, this university was established by an independent board of directors to contribute to scientific and technological advancement in the country. The project moved from conception to completion in only 30 months and combines the teaching campus with a business incubator and research park, being one of the first universities to do so.
• Park Hyatt Macka Palas, Istanbul, Turkey (Developer: Arena Giyim Sanayi AS; Architect: Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects PC) – This luxurious hotel in Istanbul, which was once a 1920s apartment block, now has 85 bedrooms, five penthouses and an ultra-hip roof top bar. It combines the city’s tradition and history with modern architecture and interiors to create a luxurious and cosmopolitan feel for the sophisticated traveller.
• Perseo, Milan, Italy (Developer: Galotti S.p.A; Architect: FGS Goring & Straja Architects) – A 16,000-square metre office development built in the Expo 2015 district of Milan on a previously undeveloped site, this building is the first Triple A standard in Italy, and is leased entirely to one tenant: Sole 24 ore
• Valletta Waterfront, Floriana, Malta (Developer: Viset Malta Plc; Architect: ESDA Inc) – Viset redeveloped the historic 500-year-old waterfront edge of Valetta in Malta, into an entertainment destination for local residents and cruise ship passengers that dock in the Grand Harbour. The waterfront includes two terminals, nine quays, state-of-the-art check-in facilities, ship repair and transport facilities, as well as retail, dining and leisure experiences.
• Wolverton Park, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom (Developer: Places for People; Architect: RPS Group) – This historic former railway just outside Milton Keynes, has been redeveloped to provide 300 mixed tenure homes, alongside commercial space, community facilities and a 2.5-acre park. Three Grade II listed buildings stand alongside two new buildings which complement each other well and provide a variety of housing solutions for the local community.
• Palazzo Aporti, Milan, Italy (Developer: Hines Italia; Architect: Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel And Partners S.R.L.) – This historic Milanese building was originally the Milan Post office headquarters, built between 1926 and 1931, which has been converted into 26,000-square metres of sustainable and energy efficient office space, with three green spaces on the site. The renovation was completed at the end of January 2011 after 4 years and combines modern interiors with a historic façade in a central location within Milan.

The competition is part of the Institute’s Awards for Excellence program, established in 1979, which is based on ULI’s guiding principle that the achievement of excellence in land use practice should be recognized and rewarded. ULI’s Awards for Excellence recognize the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial viability.

Over the years, the Awards for Excellence program has evolved from recognition of one development in North America to an international competition with multiple winners. The ULI Awards for Excellence: Europe (now EMEA) was added in 2004, followed by the ULI Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific and the Global Awards in 2005. Throughout the program’s history, all types of projects have been recognized for their excellence, including office, residential, recreational, urban/mixed-use, industrial/office park, commercial/retail, new community, rehabilitation, and public projects and programs.

In addition to jury chair Gould, other competition jury members are: Max Barclay, head of communications and internal operations, Stronghold Invest AB, Stockholm; Luca de Ambrosis Ortigara, partner, DEA Real Estate Advisor Srl., Milan; Hakan Kodal, president and chief executive officer, KREA Gayrimenku/Real Estate, Istanbul; Raj Menda, managing director, RMZ Corp, Bangalore; Dr. Karsten von Koeller, chairman of Lone Star Germany ; Frankfurt.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute (uli.org)  is a global nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.