2025 Supreme Award Winner - Central Station Metro
Judge’ comments:
A complex and ambitious project that exemplifies thoughtful structural planning and clear technical leadership. The engineers refined and improved the reference design, introducing a clever top-down sequence to meet demanding programme constraints. With reusability and demountability carefully considered, the structure demonstrates how intelligent problem-solving can shape construction and achieve long-term value.
Pull out comment:
The project displayed exceptional ingenuity and technical excellence delivered in a live, high-risk environment through engineering leadership.
Structural Designer – Aurecon and GHD Joint Venture (AGJV)
2024 Supreme Award Winner - Tibetan Art Museum
Judge’ comments:
This project brilliantly reuses a utilitarian cement factory, artfully transforming the storage rooms, kilns, and slurry tanks into new museum spaces. By retaining much of the original structure, it minimises the consumption of new materials and showcases how we can learn to love old buildings in new ways. The project sets an international standard for reuse and seismic strengthening under challenging local conditions. It revitalises an industrial site with thoughtful new build elements, demonstrating bold engineering and low carbon construction. Not just retention but true transformation.
Pull out comment:
The project sets an international standard for reuse and seismic strengthening under challenging local conditions.
Structural Designer – Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd. | Location - Lhasa, Tibet, China
2023 Supreme Award Winner - Nancy Pauw Bridge
Judge’ comments:
This spectacular timber arch bridge has an 80m clear span. The technical challenges of the incredibly shallow arch were expertly overcome by the engineers. Vibration damping was well considered, and an innovative tuned mass damper installed.
The project team has responded to the considerable structural, environmental, and ecological challenges to deliver a bridge that celebrates the natural environment of Banff through the use of natural materials. A fantastic example of technically adept ‘light touch’ engineering.
Pull out comment:
The project team has responded to the considerable structural, environmental, and ecological challenges to deliver a bridge that celebrates the natural environment of Banff through the use of natural materials.
Structural Designer – StructureCraft | Location - Alberta, Canada
2022 Supreme Award Winner - The Arc, Green School
Judge’ comments:
Ark Gymnasium is an extraordinary project. It brings together local materials, fundamental research and creativity-charged structural engineering expertise to produce something of pure delight. Not only does it demonstrate how we might consider the spectacular use of natural building materials for major projects, but it also lays out the path, via research, which can lead to the confident use of such materials. This is a marvellous demonstration of artistry, technical know how and a drive towards net zero.
Pull out comment:
This is a marvellous demonstration of artistry, technical know how and a drive towards net zero.
Structural Designer – Atelier One | Location - Bali, Indonesia
2022 Supreme Award Winner - HYLO
Judge’ comments:
Hylo could only have been achieved through masterful structural engineering. A 13-storey building was added on top of an existing 16-storey building, with only the most essential strengthening works necessary to the existing frame and foundations. This was achieved through redirecting load paths, and allowed the designers to exploit the inherent robustness in the original structure – in essence, they cashed in on previous carbon footprint to save carbon on the extension. A quite brilliant example of structural retrofit.
Pull out comment:
A 13-storey building was added on top of an existing 16-storey building, with only the most essential strengthening works necessary to the existing frame and foundations. A quite brilliant example of structural retrofit.
Structural Designer – AKT II | Location - London, UK
2021 Supreme Award Winner - Christchurch Town Hall
Judge’ comments:
Acclaimed for its architecture and acoustics, Christchurch Town Hall is a local landmark. Following devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, the original building required significant structural repair and strengthening of the supporting foundations.
This conservation project demanded a full spectrum of technically complex structural and geotechnical solutions. Solving ground stabilisation issues and predicting the future performance of the structure and foundations were achieved through detailed analysis and intensive co-ordination between the geotechnical and structural engineers. Complex analysis was employed to minimise the strengthening work required for the superstructure. The result preserves the original character and style of the building and protects the existing fabric - a positive both for sustainability and the client.
This project is an excellent example of what structural engineers can bring to a devastated existing building. By understanding its behaviour and failure, the team was able to repair and preserve this important structure.
Pull out comment:
This project is an excellent example of what structural engineers can bring to a devastated existing building. By understanding its behaviour and failure, the team was able to repair and preserve this important structure.
Structural Designer – Holmes Consulting LP | Location - Christchurch, New Zealand
2021 Supreme Award Winner - Lille Langebro
Judge’ comments:
The Lille Langebro is the latest movable bridge to be built across Copenhagen harbour. Its elegant design was the result of an international competition and incorporates a complex geometry.
The bridge consists of four sections, two of which rotate in plan to provide the navigation clearance. In order to maintain a slender profile in elevation, an innovative central moment connection has been designed to connect the moving parts together at midspan. The moment connection is achieved via paired hydraulic cylinders located within each of the two bridge box girders mounted to internal diaphragms. The upper mechanisms generate compressive resistance whilst the lower mechanisms generate a tensile force. When engaged in its socket, the compression mechanism also provides shear continuity and vertical alignment of the two moving spans.
The bridge sections were prefabricated entirely off-site and delivered in a completed state by sea. This approach meant improved quality in factory conditions rather than on site, better safety and less susceptibility to weather delays. The very beautifully detailed swing bridge required close cooperation between all parties to deliver a complex structure to a high standard. It has already become a high profile and important artery for pedestrians and cyclists.
Pull out comment:
The very beautifully detailed swing bridge required close cooperation between all parties to deliver a complex structure to a high standard.
Structural Designer – Buro Happold | Location - Copenhagen, Denmark
2019 Supreme Award Winner - New Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Judge’ comments:
This is an impressive stadium containing many dramatic long span solutions. The judges were impressed by the ingenuity shown by the structural designers in dealing with very challenging constraints and project requirements.
The roof is a complex lightweight cable-net structure with an external compression ring and two internal tension rings. Horizontal loads and uneven loading conditions are carried by geometrical stiffness only, thus optimising the primary structural members to a minimum size and achieving the desired lightness and transparency.
In addition to the roof, the concrete stands also incorporate long spans for various reasons, including the accommodation of the entire retractable pitch which slides back under the south stand when the stadium is in use for concerts and other events.
The attention to detail throughout is exemplary and is an excellent showcase for the structural engineer's art.
Pull out comment:
The judges were impressed by the ingenuity shown by the structural designers in dealing with very challenging constraints and project requirements.
Structural Designer – Buro Happold Engineering / Schlaich Bergermann Partner | Location - London, UK
2018 Supreme Award Winner - Tamina Canyon Crossing
Judge’ comments:
This is undoubtedly an outstanding engineering solution, and the judges were impressed by the elegance, clarity and economy of the design. The judges noted the efficiency of the structural system, as well as the beautiful way that the design integrates with its spectacular surroundings. This is a concrete arch design in the best traditions of Christian Menn and Robert Maillart, and the engineers have produced a world class and graceful design.
The judges liked the way that the open spandrel prop supports are inclined in a radial fan arrangement, and the high degree of transparency that has been achieved, with an attractive rhythm for the spans of the deck girder. This transparency is accentuated by the slenderness of the thin inclined props which is achieved by the use of meticulously detailed concrete hinges.
The two end props, which spring from the ends of the arch, imposing both physical and visual weight at these points to good effect, work as part of an integral framing system with the slightly deeper end spans of the girder. These spans can therefore be longer, thus avoiding the need for additional foundations at the sensitive upper slopes of the valley. So the bridge stands on just four foundations, reducing construction uncertainty and maximising the economy of the scheme.
Pull out comment:
This is undoubtedly an outstanding engineering solution, and the judges were impressed by the elegance, clarity and economy of the design.
Structural Designer – Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner | Location - Canton St. Gallen, Switzerland
2017 Supreme Award Winner - British Airways i360 at Brighton
Judge’ comments:
The steel tower is clad in perforated aluminium Expamet sheet, which cleverly reduces the wind forces on the tower, allowing it to be so slender. To help still further in resisting any dynamic movements when the wind is blowing, the tower has another trick up its sleeve. It hides 78 containers on the inside of the tower, each filled with Australian water, positioned perfectly to help resist movements which the tower might otherwise want to make under wind gusting.
Another innovation lies in the manner in which the tower was constructed. It comprises 17 ‘cans’, each weighing between 50 and 100 tonnes, which were jacked up one by one in a top-down method of construction by using a jacking frame. This avoided the use of unfeasibly large cranes, and ensured that all construction occurred safely at ground level. And you’ll be happy to know that over 60% of the energy used to lift the pod each time is recovered on its descent. A remarkable feat of engineering.
Pull out comment:
The steel tower is clad in perforated aluminium Expamet sheet, which cleverly reduces the wind forces on the tower, allowing it to be so slender.
Structural Designer – Jacobs | Location - Brighton, UK
2016 Structural Engineering Excellence Winner - Grandview Heights
Judge’ comments:
The judges were struck by the undulating roof which elegantly balances structural form with building use and celebrates the expressed materials. The adoption of timber in catenary permitted a structural depth of just 300mm for a 55m span. It defies convention and demanded design excellence in the tuning of the geometry and development of bespoke details to ensure that this high quality of construction could be delivered economically for the public client.
Pull out comment:
It defies convention and demanded design excellence in the tuning of the geometry and development of bespoke details to ensure that this high quality of construction could be delivered economically for the public client.
Structural Designer – Fast + Epp | Location - Surrey, Canada
2015 Structural Engineering Excellence Winner - Singapore Sports Hub
Judge’ comments:
The structural solution for what is now the world’s largest free-spanning dome is a testament to ultimate design optimisation and architectural-engineering collaboration. Parametric design tools were used to achieve a super- efficient, functional design as well as a simple, yet striking architectural expression.
Pull out comment:
The structural solution for what is now the world’s largest free-spanning dome is a testament to ultimate design optimisation and architectural-engineering collaboration.
Structural Designer – Arup | Location - Kallang, Singapore
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