Europe’s Best Buildings

“The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award“ has become Europe’s most famous and prestigious architecture prize.

Every two years this prize, first awarded 25 years ago and endowed with 60,000 € prize money, is presented to visionary architects and outstanding examples of contemporary architecture.

The “Emerging Architect Special Mention” is a further prize that is awarded to up-coming young architects. For the 2013 award the international jury chaired by Wiel Arets, having assessed a total of 335 nominated projects from 37 European countries, finally selected the Harpa concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavik by the Danish architecture office Henning Larsen, the Icelandic architects’ practice Batteríið, and the artist Olafur Elíasson. The “Emerging Architect Special Mention” was granted to María Langarita and Víctor Navarro for the Nave de Música Matadero (Red Bull Music Academy) in Madrid.

The other finalists are: the market hall, Gent, Belgium by Robbrecht en Daem architecten and Marie-José Van Hee architecten / Superkilen, Copenhagen, Denmark by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, Topotek1 and Superflex / The senior citizens’ residence in Alcácer do Sal, Portugal by Aires Mateus Arquitectos and Metropol Parasol, Seville, Spain by J. MAYER H. (Jürgen Mayer H., Andre Santer, Marta Ramírez Iglesias).

In addition to the selected 40 projects the travelling exhibition offers a comprehensive look back at the prize-winners of the past 25 years and shows 16 additional nominations with Austrian involvement. A catalogue with the works selected by the jury – prizewinners, finalists and shortlist – will be presented in the framework of the exhibition

until September 15, 2014
Europe’s best Buildings
The European Union Prize for contemporary architecture
curated by Fundaciò Mies van der Rohe
Architekturzentrum Wien
Museumsplatz 1, Wien, Austria