EUROPEAN COMMISSION
PRESS RELEASE
Brussels/ Barcelona, 29 April 2013
Harpa wins European Union Prize for Contemporary
Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2013
Harpa, the Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Iceland, is the winner of the
2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award, the
European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe announced today. Designed by
Henning Larsen Architects, Batteríið Architects and Studio Olafur Eliasson, the building has
helped to transform and revitalise Reykjavik harbour and brought the city and harbour
district closer together. The Emerging Architect Special Mention award goes to María
Langarita and Víctor Navarro for the Nave de Música Matadero (Red Bull Music Academy)
in Madrid, Spain. The award ceremony will take place on 7 June at the Mies van der Rohe
Pavilion in Barcelona, coinciding with a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the prize.
"Architecture is one of the most visible expressions of our contemporary culture. My
warmest congratulations go to this year's winners – indeed, to all of those who made the
final shortlist. They have created buildings which are not only of the highest aesthetic and
technical quality, but which also touch our emotions and bring people together. I would
like to thank the Fundació Mies van der Rohe for their excellent collaboration in bringing
the best contemporary European architecture to worldwide attention," said Androulla
Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.
Harpa's crystalline structure was inspired by Icelandic landscapes and traditions. Its
dramatic design captures and reflects the light of the city, ocean and sky to thrilling effect.
Peer Teglgaard Jeppesen, of Henning Larsen Architects, said: “On behalf of the team I
would like to thank the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe for this
award. We are immensely honoured. Harpa is the result of collaborative process that has
involved many people and with their efforts, strong commitment and drive Harpa has
become a symbol of Iceland’s renewed dynamism.”
Wiel Arets, Chair of the Jury, said: "Harpa's iconic and transparent porous quasi brick
appears as an ever-changing play of coloured light, promoting a dialogue between the city
and the building's interior life. By giving an identity to a society long known for its sagas,
through an interdisciplinary collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects and artist
Olafur Eliasson, this project is an important message to the world and to the Icelandic
people, fulfilling their long expected dream."
The Nave de Música Matadero (Red Bull Music Academy), which received the Emerging
Architect Special Mention award, was built in only two months to host a music festival in
an early 20th-century warehouse complex in Madrid. It met the technical needs of the
event, while promoting and enriching artistic encounters between the musicians.
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Antoni Vives, President of the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, said: "It has been an honour
for the city of Barcelona and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation to grant this Prize with the
European Commission for the past 25 years: a quarter of a century of the best European
architecture. I would like to congratulate the winners of this 13th edition and I would like
encourage architects to continue to play their role as catalysts for transforming cities."
Background
The winners were chosen from 335 submitted works in 37 European countries. Five works
were shortlisted for the main award. The other finalists were: Market Hall (Ghent, Belgium
by Robbrecht en Daem architecten, Marie-José Van Hee architecten); Superkilen
(Copenhagen, Denmark by BIG Bjarke Ingels Group, Topotek1, Superflex); Home for
Elderly People (Alcácer do Sal, Portugal by Aires Mateus Arquitectos) and Metropol Parasol
(Seville, Spain by J. Mayer H).
The jury members who selected the finalists for 2013 are: Wiel Arets, Chair of the Jury,
Principal, Wiel Arets Architects, Maastricht, Dean, College of Architecture, IIT, Chicago;
Pedro Gadanho, Curator, Contemporary Architecture, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New
York; Antón García-Abril, Principal, Ensamble Studio; Louisa Hutton, Principal, Sauerbruch
Hutton Architects, Berlin; Kent Martinussen, CEO, The Danske Arkitekter Center (DAC),
Copenhagen; Frédéric Migaryou, Director, Architecture & Design, Centre Pompidou, Paris;
Ewa Porebska, Editor-in-Chief, Architektura-murator, Warsaw; Giovanna Carnevali,
Secretary of the Jury, Director, Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona.
The architecture sector is at the heart of Europe's vibrant cultural and creative industries.
It directly employs more than half a million people, as well as more than 12 million in the
construction sector. Architecture is part of the cultural and creative sectors, which
contribute 4.5% to the EU's GDP.
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 prize is the most
prestigious in European architecture. It is awarded every other year to works completed
within the previous two years. The winner receives €60 000. Works nominated for the
Prize are put forward by independent experts, as well as by the member associations of
the Architects’ Council of Europe, national architects’ associations, and the Advisory
Committee for the Prize.
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The Prize is named after Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who is regarded as one of the
pioneers of 20th century modern architecture. His most celebrated works include the
German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona Exhibition, Villa Tugendhat in Brno, Czech
Republic, the Seagram Building in New York and the National Gallery in Berlin.
The complete list of 335 works can be downloaded by clicking on the countries below:
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovak
Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom.
Previous winners include:
Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany by David Chipperfiel/David Chipperfield Architects, in
collaboration with Julian Harrap
Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Oslo, Norway by SNØHETTA / Kjetil Trædal Thorsen,
Tarald Lundevall, Craig Dykers
MUSAC, León, Spain by Luis M. Mansilla, Emilio Tuñón / Mansilla + Tuñón Arquitectos
Netherlands Embassy Berlin, Germany by OMA / Rem Koolhaas, Ellen van Loon
Kursaal Centre, San Sebastián, Spain by Rafael Moneo
Car Park and Terminus Hoenheim North, Strasbourg, France by Zaha Hadid/ Zaha Hadid
Architects
Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria by Peter Zumthor
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, France by Dominique Perrault
Waterloo International Station, London, UK by Nicholas Grimshaw / Nicholas Grimshaw &
Partners
Municipal Sports Stadium, Badalona (Barcelona), Spain by Esteve Bonell, Francesc Rius
Stansted Airport, London, United Kingdom by Norman Foster / Norman Foster + Partners
Banco Borges e Irmão, Vila do Conde, Portugal by Álvaro Siza Vieira
For more information
http://ec.europa.eu/culture
http://www.miesarch.com
Twitter: @VassiliouEU
@EUMiesAward
Facebook: EU Prize for contemporary architecture/ Mies van der Rohe award
Contacts :
Dennis Abbott (+32 2 295 92 58);
Dina Avraam (+32 2 295 96 67)
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