The European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation have announced the 40 shortlisted projects that will compete in the 2019 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award.

The International Jury drew up a shortlist of 40 from 383 nominated works which were announced in December 2018. The jury, composed of Dorte Mandrup, George Arbid, Angelika Fitz, Ștefan Ghenciulescu, Kamiel Klaasse, María Langarita and Frank McDonald, have chosen 40 projects which highlight the opportunities and the trends of today’s architecture in the European territory: adaptive reuse, housing and culture.

The shortlisted works are spread out in 17 different European countries. 7 of them are in France, 6 in Spain, 4 in Belgium, 3 in Austria and 3 in Denmark. Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Romania have 2 shortlisted works and Albania, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Portugal, Serbia and Slovakia 1 work each. It is the first time that Albania, Serbia and Slovakia have a shortlisted work.

"For the first time there are shortlisted works in Arezzo, Billund, Bratislava, Freyming-Merlebach, Hammershus, Kilkenny, Laulasmaa, Leeuwarden, Melle, Matarranya region, Montataire, MontbrunBocage, Plasencia, Sant Ferran de ses Roques, Ternat, Tirana, Ullastret and Viborg, increasing the number of places that support architecture quality," stated the Mies van der Rohe Award.

In the selection of 40, Culture is the most represented program with 15 works (museums, cultural centres, music theatres and an auditorium/congress centre). There are 6 Education buildings (schools, university buildings and libraries); 5 Collective housing works; 3 Mixed use constructions; 2 Industrial centres and 2 Single houses; and 1 Health, 1 Infrastructure, 1 Office, 1 Social welfare, 1 Sport & Leisure, and 1 Urban Planning works.

"The 40 works highlight a new agenda that asks for new ways of thinking. Excellence and skilfulness are inherent in all of them, but this is not enough; it is necessary that they also make an impact and make architects themselves think differently about the profession," said Dorte Mandrup (Chairwoman) Architect, Copenhagen Founder and Creative Director of Dorte Mandrup.

"It is very refreshing to see how the architectural debate moves around Europe, changing its centre of discussion from one place to another over the years. This keeps architecture alive," Mandrup added.

The five finalists will be announced on February 13, 2019 and the Award Ceremony will take place on 7 May 2019 at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona. 

The 5 Finalist buildings and the Emerging Architect Winner work will be open to the public so that everybody can learn more about them in presence of their authors and critics, who will highlight their qualities.

Scroll down to see the 40 shortlisted projects below:

Albania

Skanderbeg Square / 51N4E. Image © Filip Dujardin

Skanderbeg Square / 51N4E, Plant en Houtgoed, Anri Sala, iRI

Austria

House of Music Innsbruck / Tom Winter Architects. Image © Roland Halbe

House of Music Innsbruck / Erich Strolz, Dietrich I Untertifaller Architekten

Aspern Federal School / fasch&fuchs.architekten. Image © Hertha Hurnaus

Aspern Federal School / fasch&fuchs architekten

Performative Brise Soleil / StudioVlayStreeruwitz ZT-GMBH. Image © Bruno Klomfar

Performative Brise-Soleil / StudioVlaySreeruw itz ZT-HMBH

Belgium

Residential care center KAPELLEVELD / architecten de vylder vinck taillieu. Image © Filip Dujardin

Residential care center KAPELLEVELD / architecten de vylder vinck tallieu

PC CARITAS / architecten de vylder vinck taillieu. Image © Filip Dujardin

PC CARITAS / architecten de vylder vinck tallieu

Ryhove Urban Factory / Trans. Image © Stijn Bollaert

Ryhove Urban Factory / Trans

De Krook library / Coussée & Goris architecten, RCR Arquitectes. Image © Hisao Suzuki

De Krook library / Coussée & Goris architecten, RCR Arquitectes

Denmark

Streetmekka Viborg / EFFEKT. Image © Rasmus Hjortshoj

Streetmekka Viborg / EFFEKT

Hammershus Visitors Centre / Arkitema Architects, Christoffer Harlang. Image © Jens Lindhe

Hammershus Visitors Centre / Arkitema Architects, Christoffer Harlang

LEGO House / BIG. Image © Iwan Baan

LEGO House / BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

Estonia

ARVO PÄRT CENTRE / Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos. Image © Roland Halbe

Arvo Part Centre / Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos

Finland

Oodi Helsinki Central Library / ALA Architects. Image © Tuomas Uusheimo

Helsinki Central Library Oodi / ALA Architects 

France

The Perret Hall - Cultural Centre. Image © Francois Brix

The Perret Hall – Cultural Centre / Atelier d'architecture Pierre Hebbelinck, HBAAT – HELEEN HART — MATHIEU BERTELOOT

Museum of Arts, Nantes / Stanton Williams Architects. Image © Hufton + Crow

Museum of Arts, Nantes / Stanton Williams Architects

E26 (school refectory) / Montbrun-Bocage. Image © BAST

E26 (school refectory) / BAST

Théodore Gouvy’ Theatre in Freyming-Merlebach / Dominique Coulon etassociés. Image © Eugeni Pons

‘Theodore Gouvy’ Theatre in Freyming-Merlebach / Dominique Coulon et associes

Transformation of 530 dwellings - Grand Parc Bordeaux / Frédéric Druot Architecture, Lacaton & Vassal architectes, Christophe Hutin Architecture. Image © Philippe Rualt

Transformation of 50 dwellings – Grand Parc Bordeaux / Frédéric Druot Architecture, Lacaton & Vassal architectes, Christophe Hutin Architecture

Ensae Paristech, Campus Paris-Saclay / CAB Architectes (Calori Azimi Botineau). Image © Aldo Amoretti

Ensae Paristech Campus Paris-Saclay / CAB Architectes (Calori Azimi Botineau)

Lafayette Anticipations / O.M.A. Image © Vinciane Lebrun-Verguethen

Lafayette Anticipations / O.M.A.

Germany

Residential and studio building at the former Berlin flower market / Ifau, HEIDE & VON BECKERATH. Image © Andrew Alberts

Residential and studio building at the former Berlin flower market / Ifau, HEIDE & VON BECKERATH

Terracehouse Berlin / Brandlhuber+ Emde, Burlon, Muck Petzet Architekten. Image © Erica Overmeer, David von Becker

Terracehouse Berlin / Brandlhuber+ Emde, Burlon, Muck Petzet Architekten

Ireland

St. Mary's Medieval Mile Museum / McCullough Mulvin Architects. Image © Christian Richters

St. Mary’s Medieval Mile Museum / McCullough Mulvin Architects

14 Henrietta Street / Shaffrey Architects. Image © Paul Tierney

14 Henrietta Street / Shaffrey Architects

Italy

M9 Museum District / Sauerbruch Hutton. Image © Alessandro Chemollo

M9 Museum District / van Dongen Koschuch Architects and Planners

Prada Productive Headquarter / Canali Associati. Image © Canali Associati

Prada productive headquarter / Canali associate s.r.l.

Netherlands

Musis Sacrum / van Dongen–Koschuch Architects and Planners. Image © Bart van Hoek

Musis Sacrum / van Dongen – Koschuch Architects and Planners

Visitor center park Vijversburg / STUDIO MAKS with the collaboration of Junya Ishigami & Ass. Image © Iwan Baan

Visitor center park Vijversburg / STUDIO MAKS with the collaboration of Junya Ishigami & Ass.

Poland

Silesia University's Radio and Television Department / BAAS Arquitectura, Grupa 5 Architekci, Małeccy Biuro Projektowe. Image © Adrià Goula

Silesia University’s Radio and Television department / BAAS arquitectura, Grupa 5 Architekci, Małeccy Biuro Projektowe

Portugal

Lisbon Cruise Terminal / Carrilho da Graça. Image © Fernando Guerra of FG+SG

Lisbon Cruise Terminal / Carrilho da Graça

Romania

Restoration, refurbishment of the headquarters of the order of architects of Romania, Bucharest branch / STARH - Birou de arhitectura (Florian & Iulia Stanciu). Image © Radu Malasincu

Restoration, refurbishment of the headquarters of the order of architects of Romania, Bucharest branch / STARH - Birou de arhitectura (Florian & Iulia Stanciu)

Occidentului 40 / ADN Birou de Arhitectura. Image © Andrei Mărgulescu

Occidentului 40 / AND Birou de Arhitectura

Serbia

Reconstruction of Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade / nooto, Dejan Todorović architect. Image © Relja Ivanic

Reconstruction of Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade / nooto, Dejan Todorovic architect

Slovakia

Adaptation of the former factory Mlynica. Image © Jakub Skokan a Martin Tůma (BoysPlayNice)

Adaptation of the former factory Mlynica / GutGut

Spain

Life Reusing Posidonia / 14 social dwellings in Sant Ferran, Formentera / IBAVI. Image © José Hevia

Life Reusing Posidonia / 14 social dwellings in Sant Ferran, Formentera / IBAVI

Civic Centre Lleialtat Santsenca. Image © Adrià Goula

Civic Centre Lleialtat / HARQUITECTES

Plasencia Auditorium and Congress Centre / Selgascano. Image © Iwan Baan

Plasencia Auditorium and Congress Centre / Selgascano

Desert City / Garciagerman Arquitectos. Image © Imagen Subliminal (Miguel de Guzmán and Rocío Romero)

Desert City / Garciagerman Arquitectos

House 1413 / HARQUITECTES. Image © Adrià Goula

House 1413 / HARQUITECTES

Solo House / OFFICE Kersten GeersDavid Van Severen. Image © Bas Princen

Solo House / OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen

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