Winners and Finalists

Text: Edit Pálinkás

Philharmonic Hall, Szczecin, architects: Fabrizio Barozzi and Alberto Veiga © Photo: Simon Mengez

The prize named after Mies van der Rohe is the most prestigious architectural award in Europe. It has been awarded for over 25 years for large-scale realised architectural projects the quality and cultural significance of which made them excelling examples of modern urban development. The winner of the Mies van der Rohe Award 2015 is the Szczecin Philharmonic Hall. It is located on the historical site of the “Konzerthaus”, which was destroyed during the Second World War. The building houses a symphony hall for 1000 spectators, a hall for chamber music for 200 spectators and a multifunctional space for exhibitions and conferences. The serial modulation of the roof represents an expressive element that permits the integration of the building within the fragmented urban profile of the city. In its materiality, the building is perceived as a light element: the glass facade, illuminated from inside, depending on the use allows different perceptions. The Emerging Architect Prize has been awarded to the Catalan studio ARQUITECTURA-G for their work Luz House, a single-family house born from the transformation of an existing structure in the Spanish town of Cilleros. The finalists are the Ravensburg Art Museum (Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei), the Danish Maritime Museum in Helsingør (BIG), the Antinori Winery in Florence (Archea Associati) and the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre in London (O’Donnell + Tuomey).