The M.H. Wong Building, one of McGill's newest buildings, will be among the structures singled out for praise tonight, as the Order of Architects of Quebec hand out their Prix d'excellence.

Named in the institutional architecture category, the building, which houses professors, labs and classrooms for McGill's metallurgical and chemical engineering programs, is among 18 projects shortlisted from over 90 submissions for the 20th annual Order of Architects grand prize. The prize is given jointly to architects and their clients.

For Wong Building architects Eric Marosi and Martin Troy, the recognition is doubly gratifying because they are being cited for a project they took on for their alma mater -- the duo both graduated from the School of Architecture.

"It's interesting to have the opportunity to come out and produce something that we feel improves the nature of campus," said Marosi, a class of '75 graduate. He and class of '81 graduate Troy worked on the project for Jodoin, Lamarre, Pratte & Associates.

The Order of Architects praises the building for its innovative design. "We're proud of the building. It's been successful in fitting into the campus," Marosi says.

Building director Alain Gagnon was one of the Wong's first tenants. The machine shop he supervises became operational in April 1996, the same time the building was inaugurated. He loves the large centralized space that the building provides.

"The staff is not so spread out over different buildings anymore. And it's nice that here all the [chemical engineering undergraduate] labs are together on the same floor. The students have a really good deal," said Gagnon.

So although the jury may still be out on who will win the Order of Architects' grand prize, one group of people that makes ample use of the facilities -- the students of the Faculty of Engineering -- has delivered a clear judgement on the Wong Building.

Kyle Aikin, a U3 chemical engineering student, delivers the Wong verdict. "I love it. It's well ventilated and the lighting is great. There's tables on each floor so it's a good place to work or meet up with people."

Marc Gilliam

Give the Department of English's theatre program high marks for moxie. For their autumn production, they chose to stage Bertolt Brecht's The Life of Galileo, a play that even a director as talented as Robert Lepage had difficulty with when he tackled a production in 1989.

According to Gazette theatre critic Pat Donnelly, the McGill production succeeds where more seasoned theatre companies have failed. Donnelly says the theatre program "deserves a full round of applause for presenting a beautifully staged production of this always timely play" and credits director Alexandre Marine with "innovative work."

The play chronicles the life of Galileo Galilei, the brilliant but deeply flawed astronomer who paid a terrible price when he challenged the brutal and powerful Catholic Church of his time by declaring that the Earth was not the centre of the universe.

The Life of Galileo is being performed at Moyse Hall tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night at 8 pm. For ticket information, call 398-6070.