Five finalists announced for the European Union prize for contemporary architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2009 - Main contents
The European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe today announced the finalists for the 2009 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award, one of the most important and prestigious prizes on the international architecture scene. The winner of the Mies van der Rohe prize will be announced in May in Barcelona.
By supporting the Award, the European Commission underlines the role of architecture as a driver for creativity and innovation and draws attention to the important contribution of European professionals in the development of new ideas and technologies.
The European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Mr Ján Figel i' said: "Each of the projects nominated today is a celebration of European architectural talent, of European creativity and innovation. These themes are particularly relevant in this, the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009.The finalists' projects are an example of what can be achieved with creativity and entrepreneurial initiative."
The finalist projects are:
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-Multimodal Centre – Nice Tramway, Nice (France) by Marc Barani / Atelier Marc Barani
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-Zenith Music Hall, Strasbourg (France) by Massimiliano Fuksas, Doriana Fuksas / Massimiliano Fuksas Architecture
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-University Luigi Bocconi, Milan (Italy) by Shelley McNamara, Yvonne Farrell / Grafton Architects
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-The Norwegian Opera & Ballet, Oslo (Norway) by Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, Tarald Lundevall, Craig Dykers / Snøhetta
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-Library, Senior Citizens’ Centre and City Block Core Zone, Sant Antoni’s District, Barcelona (Spain) by Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, Ramon Vilalta / RCR Aranda Pigem Vilalta Arquitectes
The finalists were selected by the Jury from 340 projects proposed by the experts, member associations of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) and the other national architects’ associations and the Advisory Committee. The Jury, chaired by Francis Rambert is composed of Ole Bouman, Fulvio Irace, Carme Pinós, Luis M. Mansilla, Vasa J. Perovic and Irene Fialová.
Francis Rambert, Chair of the Jury said today: “We were impressed by the quality of the selected projects, many of which explore important urban issues of infrastructure and regeneration, developing new typologies. Ranging widely in scale, each responds imaginatively to its particular context and brief.”
Previous winners include, amongst others, Rem Koolhaas and Ellen van Loon, Zaha Hadid, Dominique Perrault, Peter Zumthor, Rafael Moneo and Álvaro Siza Vieira.
The European architecture prize – Mies van der Rohe Award, funded through the EU Culture Programme, is awarded biennially to works completed within the previous two years. The winner receives a prize of € 60 000. In the same context, the jury awards a Special Mention prize for an emerging architect, which is worth € 20 000.
A series of lectures about the finalists' projects will be given by the architects themselves, on April 22 in Barcelona, to reach out to broader audiences. The winner of the Mies van der Rohe prize will be announced in May, also in Barcelona.
A travelling exhibition on the winners and runners-up is planned for September this year.
The EU Culture Programme also funds the European Border Breakers Awards, the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage and the forthcoming European Union Prize for Literature.
To find out more:
Mies van der Rohe Foundation:
http://www.miesbcn.com/en/award.html
European Commission: Culture
Architecture Prize
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc1103_en.htm
Policy developments:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/index_en.htm