European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award
Opening exhibition: 15 February 2016, 6 p.m.
Date and time: exhibition open from 15 January to 27 March 2016
Venue: Museum of Architecture in Wrocław, address: Bernardyńska 5, Wrocław
Admission: paid (ticket prices: PLN 10.00 | 7.00 | 5.00 per person)
More details at: www.ma.wroc.pl
The Szczecin Philharmonic Hall, being the first Polish winner of the Mies van der Rohe Award, as well as other award-winning designs from previous editions of the European Union Prize competition for contemporary architecture at a joint exhibition in the Wrocław Museum of Architecture.
The exhibition complements the event inaugurated in January, namely the Made in Europe exhibition of the Mies van der Rohe Award winning projects from the years 1988-2013. It reviews a selection of the most significant European architectural ventures completed within the last two years. It is in fact a special edition, since as many as three projects originating in Poland were shortlisted, namely the complex of buildings of the Silesian Museum in Katowice, designed by the Austrian studio Riegler Riewe Architekten, the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, erected according to the design by the Finnish architect Rainer Mahlamäki, and the Szczecin Philharmonic Hall designed by a duet of architects from the Barcelona-based studio Veiga/Barozzi, i.e. Alberto Veiga from Spain and Fabrizio Barozzi from Italy, which had become the first Polish building to ever receive the grand prize of the competition.
All projects awarded under the last edition of the competition have be presented in the form of design documentation integrated into a vast database of drawings, photographs, plans, maps and information notes, as well as 40 models, including the two award-winning designs i.e. the Szczecin Philharmonic Hall (grand prize winner) and the residential building of Luz House in Cilleros in western Spain, designed by the ARQUITECTURA-G studio (awarded under the young talent competition), four buildings qualified to the competition final, i.e. the Danish Maritime Museum in Helsingor, the Ravensburg Art Museum, the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre in London, the Antinori Winery in Florence as well as the two Polish shortlisted projects. The exhibition will be complemented by screenings of films showing both the project implementation works and the prize winner selection process.
The European Mies van der Rohe Award is granted every two years. In the meantime, independent experts, members of organisations associated with the Architects’ Council of Europe and other architectural societies from various European countries, as well as members of the Consulting Committee, submit their proposals to the jurors’ attention. From among them, the jury selects finalists and shortlisted projects, which automatically authorises the commended architects to present their designs in the competition’s international catalogue. Then, once the projects promoted to the final have all been visited, the jury decides about those to receive the grand prize and the special prize for young talents.
Text by: Museum of Architecture in Wrocław
The exhibition is held under the architecture programme of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016, and it is co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under administration of the National Forum of Music. The project is implemented in collaboration with the Impart 2016 Festival Office, being the organiser of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 celebration events.
Organiser: Fundacio Mies van der Rohe in Barcelona, European Union
Co-organisers: Museum of Architecture in Wrocław, Impart 2016 Festival Office, National Forum of Music
Co-funded by: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
Strategic partner: KGHM Polska Miedź
Illustrations: courtesy of the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław.
