Annual awards committee chairman Tony Tang said: 'The Silver Medal recognises design excellence.' Citibank Plaza was an imaginative twin tower solution in the Central business district, according to the jury.

The jury said: 'The skilful disposition of towers in relationship to the surrounding buildings creates a pleasant urban open space that visually extends to Chater Garden, far beyond its own site boundary, with glimpses of the harbour.' One advantage of the building was that the hi-tech, twin-tower commercial complex did not attempt to compete with the surrounding buildings for attention. Instead it had become part of the landscape.

Mr Tang said: 'Within the limitations that the architect had to work with, he has designed a building that ties in well with the urban fabric.' He said the architect had faced not just limitations imposed by the Garden Road site, and adjacent buildings, but also height restrictions.

'It is a difficult site to work, in that there are strong buildings around, like the Bank of China tower. But the architect made good use of the landscape in front, which belongs to other projects,' Mr Tang said.

'The building has created a spatial quality [in that]it creates a public space that visually extends beyond the site boundary. This is the result of careful planning.

'If it was not a twin-tower arrangement, it may not have been able to achieve these qualities.' Another of the qualities the jury took into account were the foot bridges and walkways and ground-level planning, Mr Tang said.

'It was a planning requirement to provide link bridges. The architect took this chance to create ample circulation space for pedestrians,' he said.

The awards jury noted: 'Ground-level circulation links between the building, the neighbouring park and Central business district have been carefully arranged in relationship to the twin tower and its open-space planning.

'Moreover, the detailing of public areas is well thought through and the entire design gives a dynamic character that was much favoured by the jury.

'While the overall form of the towers may not provide the most economical and efficient design for an office development, a proper balance has been achieved for office users and the public in the context of an urban development.' The institute received 24 nominations for this year's awards. Some of the projects included renovations, commercial projects, institutionals (schools), elderly homes, offices and housing estates.

The HKIA annual awards are divided into two categories.

'Under the first category, regardless of nature and size, almost every project can enter,' Mr Tang said.

'The other category - the President's Prize - is for small projects with a contract value not exceeding HK$20 million. All other projects are eligible for the annual awards. The highest award is the Silver Medal.' Mr Tang said the institute's Silver Medal winners in the past two years had also been office developments.

The jury's composition of four architects and two non-professionals allowed for a diversity of viewpoints to be considered and debated. The ages and experience of jurists also varied.

This year's panel comprised Kenneth Kan, Professor Tunney Lee, of the Chinese University, Helena To and Dominic Kwan, all architects.

The other judges were Victor So, executive director of the Hong Kong Housing Society, and Mrs Helen Yu, director of the Buildings Department.

'The judges [who are architects] know the kind of limitations and constraints that architects experience,' Mr Tang said.

'On the other hand [the other two judges] can evaluate a building from many different ways and notice a lot of features that [architects] are not likely to see.

'They might be able to observe things that the architect did not think about, but aspects that are nevertheless important to people.' The HKIA also presents a Certificate of Merit and a President's Prize.

This year's Certificate of Merit was awarded to the Dragon Centre in Sham Shui Po and the President's Prize went to the public toilet at Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay.

According to the HKIA, the annual awards encourage excellence of design in architecture and highlight buildings that contribute significantly to the architecture of Hong Kong.

Recognition is given to outstanding examples of architecture, regardless of the size and nature of the buildings.