Results: Cuicocha Mirador Competition

Quechua Competitions has just announced winners of Cuicocha Mirador Competition.

1st Prize

Project by: Maxime Matuszezak, Jules Bergé, Xavier Poulain
from France

Amerindian cultures describe the world in three entities: the world above, here and below. The project reinterprets the definition of tower, both theoretically and formally: it is an architectural element that bring the sky and earth together. The unique morphology of this tower dug into the site offers an interior space, the in-between. In the same gesture it reveals the geological layers and the specific elements of the site: the Volcán Cotacachi and the Laguna Cuicocha. The simplicity of the project combined with the strength of Cuicocha offers a new look, both introspective and contemplative, at the Laguna de Dioses.

2nd Prize

Project by: Diego Ibañez Lahoz, José Lafuente Adiego
from Spain

Cuicocha, “la laguna de los Dioses”, aparece imponente en los Andes ecuatorianos. Un escenario cargado de simbolismo que encierra una cultura ancestral donde aún palpita el peso de la antigua civilización inca. Es en esa “pesadez” donde nace nuestro proyecto. Este mirador pretende generar en el visitante una sensación de gravedad a través de un espacio creado a partir de una figura con tanto significado para los incas como era el círculo. La luz penetra a través de un óculo en ese espacio que se entierra y te conduce a la meditación para, una vez purificado, contemplar la laguna.

3rd Prize

Project by: Dong Hyen Lee, Seung Ming Oh
from South Korea

The project party considered constructive rationality, taking into account the local restrictions in terms of transport and labor. The wooden construction system forms a succession of openings that accommodate the suggested activities. The objectivity of the proposal is a coherent response where it allows architecture to achieve the essential when dealing with extreme conditions of location, climate and human needs. It is a confrontation with raw nature and built space, when the intervention of man suggests a framework in the landscape.