The Word at World Architecture Festival
The Word has been shortlisted to compete against the world's best architecture at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) which takes place in Berlin from 15th-17th November. This is the second consecutive year we have featured in the shortlist for this prestigious celebration of global design.
The community library and cultural centre is shortlisted in the 'Culture - Completed Buildings’ category and if successful, will be considered for the overall title of World Building of the Year 2017.
The Word will also be the subject of a presentation at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ World Library and Information Congress on the 24th August in Poland. The talk will discuss themes laid out in a paper written by Steve Dickson and Edward Shanks, which explores the context surrounding the decision to build The Word, the judgments taken by the design team to respond to the context, and the overwhelming social, cultural and regenerative impact that it is delivering for its community.
The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, represents a real paradigm shift in the community library building typology. It is a library for the 21st century, celebrating the dynamic relationship between people, books, traditional media and interactive technologies, in a truly inspiring environment.
Steve McIntyre, Partner at FaulknerBrowns, said: “It is fantastic for The Word to be shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival and for the building to sit alongside some really exceptional pieces of architecture from around the world.
“At the outset of the project we set out to redefine the community library building typology and to create a destination for South Shields of national and international significance.
“The building’s recent award success coupled with the amazing feedback we’ve received from the people that use the building, suggests that we have been able to achieve that, and we are delighted.”
