Video of the roundtable: What is an architecture award worth?

Once a symbol of excellence and exception, architecture and design prizes, which aim to reward achievements, have multiplied exponentially in recent years. This debate was devoted to questions about the value of these awards, considering their multiplication.

This debate was organized at the BAnQ’s National Archives in Montreal (535 Viger Avenue East) on November 24, 2022.

Once a symbol of excellence and exception, architecture and design awards, which aim to reward achievements, have multiplied exponentially in recent years. We no longer count the number of companies, associations, municipalities and specialized publications that have set up their own awards, many of which have greatly multiplied their categories over the years. The situation is such that we can now speak of a veritable awards “industry”, both in Quebec and internationally.
In this context, we may wonder about the value of these awards. Do they always reward excellence? Do the entries focus excessively on aesthetics, or even the “Instagrammable” side of architecture, rather than on the public experience? Why do architectural firms feel the need to participate? How can we ensure the real value of an architecture award?

The event was organized by Kollectif, in partnership with Jean-Pierre Chupin, Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Competitions and Mediations of Excellence (Université de Montréal) and co-editor of the collective book The Rise of Awards in Architecture (Vernon Press, 2022) with Carmela Cucuzzella and Georges Adamczyk.

Presenter: Marc-André Carignan, Content Manager for Kollectif
Moderator: Jean-Pierre Chupin, Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Competitions and Mediations of Excellence, Université de Montréal

Our panelists:

Brigitte Gadoury, co-president, Agence PID (Grands Prix du Design)
Krystel Flamand, head architect, PRISME architecture
Anne-Marie Blais, associate architect, Groupe A / Annexe U and president of the Prix d’excellence committee of the Ordre des architectes du Québec
Marie-Josée Lacroix, former team leader of the Bureau du Design de la Ville de Montréal (Commerce Design Award)

Our guests of honour:

Pierre Corriveau, President of the Ordre des architectes du Québec
Maxime Brouillet, architectural photographer
Stephan Chevalier, architect, co-founder of Chevalier Morales architectes
Claudine Caron, coordinator for 25 years of the Mérites d’architecture de la Ville de Québec, and Anne-Marie Laplante, architecture and urban design consultant who took over the torch of the Mérites.
Carmela Cucuzzella, IDEAS-BE Chair at Concordia University (and co-editor of The Rise of Awards in Architecture).
Marie-Claude Parenteau-Lebeuf, Executive Director of the Association Professionnelle des designers d’intérieur du Québec
Patrick Messier, President of the Association des designers industriels du Québec
Georges Adamczyk, Full Professor at the École d’architecture, Faculté de l’aménagement, Université de Montréal (and co-editor of The Rise of Awards in Architecture)
Andrew King, FIRAC architect, Prix de Rome, senior associate and design manager, Lemay

Video production:

Video editing and recording: Jonathan Haxhe, M.A. in communication, Université de Montréal.
Recording: Théo Pagé-Robert, Bachelor of Architecture, Université de Montréal.

Funding: Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Competitions and Mediations of Excellence.