REM KOOLHAAS WINS MIES VAN DER ROHE AWARD

By Culturekiosque Staff

BARCELONA, 22 April 2005 —The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2005 has been granted to the new Dutch Embassy in Berlin, designed by OMA / Rem Koolhaas and Ellen van Loon. The jury, chaired by Zaha Hadid, unanimously singled out two projects for their final deliberation: Office for Metropolitan Architecture's (OMA) Netherlands Embassy in Berlin, Germany and the Braga Municipal Stadium, Portugal, by Eduardo Souto de Moura.

In making their decision to award the Netherlands Embassy Berlin, the jury commended the "quality of the urban reflection and intelligence of the concept implemented, especially as regards the unprecedented concept of ‘trajectory’ and the new potential it brings to this project of great complexity".

Netherlands Embassy Berlin
© Phill Meerch
Photo courtesy of Fundació Mies van der Rohe

In the wake of the reunification the German government decided to relocate the capital to Berlin ‘Mitte’ (Center). The Netherlands, having sold their former embassy site after the war, was free to choose anew and preferred Roland Ufer in Mitte, the oldest Berlin settlement, next to the (new) government district of their main trade partner.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested a solitary building that integrated elements of conventional civil service security with Dutch openness. A continuous trajectory extending through the eight floors of the cube shapes the building’s internal communication, with the workspaces situated along the façade.

The Emerging Architect Special Mention was awarded to NL Architects for their BasketBar at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. This Mies van der Rohe Award 2005, with two prize-winning works by Dutch architects, confirms the success of the policy in the Netherlands in support of contemporary architecture and young architects.

BasketBar at the University of Utrecht
© Luuk Kramer
Photo courtesy of Fundació Mies van der Rohe

Ms. Hadid and the eight other jury members assessed some 242 projects from 30 countries that were chosen by a group of independent international experts and European architects’ associations. The Mies van der Rohe Award winner receives a cash prize of 50,000 euros, while the Emerging Architect Special Mention is endowed with the sum of 10,000 euros.

Fundació Mies van der Rohe

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