Morocco’s Kenitra Train Station won the Prix Versailles Special Prizer Exterior Award in the category of Passenger and Stations. The architectural prize was one of nine awarded. Montpellier Sud de Train Station in France won the Special Prize Interior and Yangcheng Lake Tourist Transportation Center in China won the Grand Prix Versailles. The other awards were in the two categories of Sports and Campuses. On September 12, 2019, the award winners will come together to be honored at the Prix Versailles World Ceremony 2019.
Morocco’s train stations in Marrakech and Fes were redesigned during the past decade to highlight Moroccan-modern architecture and with social impact in mind to enhance travel.
The Prix Versailles was created to bridge the gap between culture and commercial architecture. It also aims to send a message about how important these facilities are in fostering social, economic and cultural exchanges. The award titles will be presented by a panel of World Judges at the UNESCO Headquarters. Architectural awards in the three categories Shops & Stores, Shopping Malls, and Hotels and Restaurants will also be announced. Francesco Bandarin, the former Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO will chair the panel.
The Kenitra Station is part of the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region and was built in 1920. The award-winning station connects to many Moroccan cities. Africa’s first high-speed TGV runs through the station. Trains are the most popular form of transportation in Morocco. The railway network is owned by the kingdom and operated by ONCF, the National Office of Railways Morocco.