Friends of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights Inc. announced today the eight architectural firms selected by the Architectural Review Committee in Stage 2 of the International Architectural Design Competition for The Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The eight firms were chosen from the 30 architectural firms who were invited to submit their design proposals in Stage 2. Each of the eight winning firms will receive CA$12,000, the award that was set for Stage 2 of the competition. The eight semi-finalist proposals are on exhibition at The Forks Market and on the museum’s Web site from March 18-28 where the public will be able to submit its feedback. At the beginning of April, the Architectural Review Committee will interview the eight semifinalists, three of whom will be invited to participate in Stage 3 of the competition. Each of the three finalists in Stage 3 will receive CA$100,000. The selected architect will be announced in July 2004. The eight firms, spanning five countries (Canada, Denmark, India, South Africa and USA) and four continents (Africa, Asia, Europe and North America), are: Antoine Predock Architect (USA), Charles Correa Associates (India), Dan Hanganu Architects & The Arcop Group (Canada), Mashabane Rose Architects (South Africa), Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc. (USA), Saucier + Perrotte Architectes (Canada), Schmidt Hammer & Lassen (Denmark), Schwartz Architects and EHDD Architecture (USA).
The vision of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is to create a distinctive architecturally exceptional museum that will help to eliminate intolerance through recognition of human rights as the foundation for human equality,
dignity and freedom world-wide. The museum has made groundbreaking history, as it will be the largest human rights institution and centre for education in the world today. The museum is a joint project of Friends of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights Inc., the Forks North Portage Partnership, the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg. The site is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a city in the geographic centre of Canada. The land on which the project will be located is an historic place at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers at the Forks. The building program is estimated at 240,000 square feet (22,300 gross square meters) with the Tower of Hope as a distinctive and additional element of the project. For further information on the competition including a list of the Architectural Review Committee and Technical Review Committee members, please visit the museum Web site at www.canadianmuseumforhumanrights.com