Awarded on Tuesday, October 24, with DIALOG members Marion LaRue and Mark Hentze in attendance, sθәqәlxenәm ts’exwts’áxwi7 Rainbow Park in Vancouver received the 2023 IOC IPC IAKS Architecture Prize at the international awards gala in Cologne, Germany in the category of ‘Community Outdoor Grounds and Public Areas’.
Every two years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) award coveted prizes honouring sports and leisure architecture from all over the world. Identifying and promoting trends for transforming communities and urban areas into places of active living as well as building sustainable facilities is at the core of this international competition.
With 88 entries from 22 different countries including Australia, Germany, Thailand, and Canada, a total of 11 projects were selected in five categories. The architecture prizes are presented to buildings and complexes that integrate sensible sustainability and public value, exemplary accessibility and universal design, strong functional planning and innovation, and exceptional architectural design.
The categories include: community outdoor grounds and public areas, indoor facilities for sports, leisure and recreation, pools, spas and wellness facilities, specialized facilities for sports, leisure and recreation, and major outdoor stadiums. The jury selected inspiring projects that generate value for local communities – an important issue in the world that also reflects the theme of the IAKS Congress: “Building resilient communities through leisure and sports facilities”.
To be eligible for competition entry, the facilities or temporary infrastructure must have been completed between 2018 and 2022, and entries could include newly built facilities as well as expansions, modernizations, rehabilitations, or conversions of existing buildings.
DIALOG’s winning project, Rainbow Park sθәqәlxenәm ts’exwts’áxwi7 in Vancouver, Canada, is a collaborative project with the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, serving 30,000 neighbours through complex terracing, elevated walkways and an integrated café pavilion that makes space for a vibrant and diverse community to come together. The result is a deeply connected, multi-dimensional experience that bridges nature and culture, past and future
About IAKS
The International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) was founded in Cologne/Germany in 1965. It is the only global non-profit organization concerning sports and leisure facility development and has been awarded the status of a Recognized Organization by the IOC. The IAKS makes up a global network of first-hand expertise for design, construction, and management of sports and leisure facilities. The IAKS regularly holds specialized conferences and educational seminars. Since 1967, IAKS has been publishing “sb”, the world’s foremost specialist magazine for sports architecture and the construction, modernization, and management of sports and leisure facilities.
