Five Finalists for 2013 EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award

Five finalist projects have been announced by the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe in the run for the coveted 2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award.

A total of 335 works in 37 European countries were nominated for the award. The overall winner of the prize, as well as the special mention award for best emerging architect, will be announced in May. The grand award ceremony will take place on June 6 at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona.

Following are the 5 finalists.

"I would like to congratulate all the architects who were nominated and the finalists in particular. We have an enormous wealth of talent in European architecture, which is a shining example of our dynamic cultural and creative sectors. At the same time, we recognise that the architecture industry faces significant challenges resulting from the economic slowdown. The European Commission and Mies van der Rohe Foundation are committed to supporting the sector which makes a significant contribution to the economy and job creation, as well as being a creator of beauty and force for cohesion for our society. We will continue to support architecture, including through this prize, through the future Creative Europe programme," said Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.

The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award highlights the contribution of European architects to the development of new ideas and technologies in contemporary urban development. Launched in 1987 and co-funded by the EU Culture Programme and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, the €60,000 (US$81,500) Prize is one of the most prestigious in European architecture. It is awarded every other year for a work completed within the previous two years. This year’s ceremony is the 13th to take place since its launch.

The jury members who selected the 2013 finalists are: Wiel Arets, Chair of the jury/Wiel Arets Architects, Maastricht; Pedro Gadanho, Curator of Contemporary Architecture, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; Antón García-Abril, Ensamble Studio, Madrid; Louisa Hutton, Sauerbruch Hutton Architects, Berlin; Kent Martinussen, CEO, The Danish Architecture Center (DAC), Copenhagen; Frédéric Migaryou, Director, Architecture & Design, Centre Pompidou, Paris; Ewa Porębska Editor-in- Chief, Architektura-murator, Warsaw; and Giovanna Carnevali, Secretary of the Jury/Director, Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona.

Previous winners include the Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects in collaboration with Julian Harrap and the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in Oslo, Norway by SNØHETTA.