2020 Winner: Anandaloy

The second winner of the OBEL AWARD is the project “Anandaloy”, Bangladesh 2017-2020, by Studio Anna Heringer.

According to the jury, the unconventional building, which is made out of mud and bamboo, shows in its own playful and humble way that architecture can contribute to mending the climate as well as social injustice and segregation.

“You can feel that she has a real respect for the culture, for the people, for the land.”

Martha Schwartz, Chair of the Jury, says: “To all of us in the jury, Anandaloy is an outstanding project. It is an original piece. It is not in the style of; it is not imitating something else. I think Anna is absolutely dedicated to what she is doing, which is what you see when you see a good piece of art: that there is a good, focused intent behind it. Anna manages to integrate all of her values: she is building sustainably, using the materials that are there, having people involved, so that they can learn to build for themselves, and creating more opportunities forwomen and for people with disabilities. You can feel that she has a real respect for the culture, for the people, for the land.“