The Miese van der Rohe Award was received by a university in Britain and cooperative housing in Barcelona

Photo © Dennis Gilbert

Barcelona – The Mies van der Rohe Architectural Award this year was awarded to the creators of the new building of Kingston University in London and the housing cooperative La Borda in Barcelona. The jury of the award, announced by the European Union and the foundation caring for the legacy of the German architect, praised the unconventional solutions and emphasis on ecological sustainability and inclusion. Several projects from the Czech Republic also entered the biennial competition.

The main prize went to the architectural studio Grafton Architects from Dublin for the new Town House building of Kingston University in London. The jury appreciated the excellent conditions the architectural design creates for "studying, meeting, dancing and community." According to the jury led by Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao, the building evokes a homely atmosphere due to its internal and external appearance. "This is the first time a university building has won the architectural award," the judges stated in their decision on Tuesday. According to them, the success demonstrates that school projects can also aspire to achieve great architectural quality.

photo: Lluc Miralles

The award for emerging architects went to the Barcelona housing cooperative La Borda and architects from the local studio Lacol. The cooperative, according to the jury, disrupts established norms in the context of residential housing, where large companies and strong economic interests dominate. "In this case, the model is based on common ownership and management of shared resources and capabilities,” the judges wrote.

The creators of the project paid attention to the low energy consumption of the building, as they wanted to avoid, among other things, a situation where part of the less wealthy residents falls into "energy poverty." In addition to 28 housing units, they also created extensive common spaces serving the cooperators and their community. The project was initiated in 2012 in an effort to revitalize the former industrial project Can Battló in the La Bordeta neighborhood. The Barcelona city council also participated by leasing the land to the cooperative for 75 years.

Projects from the Czech Republic also entered the EU competition. The revitalization of the Prague waterfront by architect Petr Janda from the studio brainwork was the only Czech project to make it to the list of 40 finalists.