After searching for two years, the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe have announced the winners of the 2022 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. In the Architecture category, the Town House – Kingston University project in London took first place, while the cooperative housing La Borda in an industrial neighbourhood of Barcelona won the Emerging Architecture category.
A remarkable overlap in both winners was the importance of connecting people into a community. Furthermore, the designs serve as excellent examples of the future of European architecture and how to combine local culture with sustainability. European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel praised the winners for their creative and innovative design: “It is particularly encouraging to see the contribution of contemporary architecture to improving the well-being of citizens in Europe like we are also doing with the New European Bauhaus.”
GBR – London | Town House Kingston University
The Town House in London was heralded as a “warehouse of ideas”, functioning as a very well designed cultural hub. It includes a library, dance studios, and performance and event spaces while it also functions as an education building for Kingston University. The overlap and accessibility of so many cultural facets are replicated in the design of the Town House. The building is open to everyone, attempting to connect different parts of the local community together through culture. Text continues below video
SPA – Barcelona | La Borda Cooperative Housing
The winner of the Emerging Architecture award – La Borda – was built with the purpose to provide cooperative housing whilst aiding the recovery of former industrial neighbourhood Sants in Barcelona. The area is well-known for its “cooperative fabric”, and the structure connects this local heritage to social and sustainable housing. Thanks to the smart use of building materials and climate management, La Borda has almost zero energy consumption. The building supports the local community by strengthening the ties between residents, as the project is focused on community life, affordability and sustainability among other things. Text continues below video
The competition for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2022 already started in January 2021 and saw a total of 532 nominees, including a number of cultural heritage works. While the winners have already been announced, the celebrations are just getting started. On May 12 all finalists are welcomed at the EUMies Awards Day in the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona.
Source: EUMies (press release), EUMies (La Barda), EUMies (Town House),