The European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation announced today the winner of the 2017 EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture: the prize will be given to the innovative renovation of Kleiburg, a 1960s apartment building in Amsterdam, by NL Architects and XVW architectuur.
The project, which was among five finalists from 356 projects nominated, was rewarded for the renovation of one of the biggest apartment buildings in the Netherlands by a consortium involving the owner, the neighbours, the Bijlmer Museum, which is dedicated to the history of the district where Kleiburg is located, and the architects.
The 2017 Emerging Architect Special Mention is awarded to Belgian architects MSA and V+ for the NAVEZ project, five social units in northern Brussels, designed as a landmark at the entrance of the city and providing exemplary passive apartments for large families.
Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, said: “I congratulate the winners of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, who demonstrate the high quality of European architecture, its creative potential and its ability to address the social, economic and environmental challenges of our time. The Commission is committed to sustainable urban development and supports the values of contemporary architecture and its contribution to the well-being of our citizens. Moreover, the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018 will be an excellent opportunity to strengthen the role of architecture in saving and enhancing heritage sites and buildings.“
The award ceremony will take place on 26 May at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona. The €60,000 biennial Prize, which is the most prestigious in European architecture, was launched in 1987 to highlight the contribution of European architects to the development of new ideas and technologies in contemporary urban development. It is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe.
