Among the 40 finalists of the Mies van der Rohe Award, buildings from the Czech Republic did not make it

R50 – Cohousing, Berlin

Barcelona - This year, the jury of the prestigious Mies van der Rohe architectural award, given every two years by the European Union, was not impressed by any of the ten nominated Czech buildings, and thus Czech architects will not have a chance to receive the award this time. The organizers today published a list of 40 out of the original 420 candidates that made it to the shortlist. Among them are projects from 17 countries, with Denmark and Spain having the largest representation.
    Last year, Czech experts nominated, for example, two projects by the studio of Josef Pleskot - the Science and Technology Centre in Ostrava and a villa on Procházková Street in Podolí. The studio Hájek architects also received two nominations due to the design of the Krkonošsko Centre for Environmental Education in Vrchlabí and the Chameleon family house in Lipence. In addition to other well-known names, such as Martin Rajniš and David Kubík with the lighthouse and the Jára Cimrman museum or the studio FAM with their often-published cottage by Lake Mácha, several young architects also received nominations.
    However, the Czechs did not make it into the group of forty finalists, although in previous years, Czech representatives have made it to the shortlist several times. Among the best European buildings, for example, in 1997, the IPB Bank building in Brno by the team Burian-Křivinka made it, in 2003 Pleskot's Passage through the Bastion of the Powder Bridge at Prague Castle, and the Euro Palace on Wenceslas Square in Prague by Petr Malinský, Richard Doležal, Petr Burian, Michal Pokorný, and Martin Kotík. In 2005, the Trappist Monastery in Nový Dvůr near Toužim by British architect John Pawson was among the finalists.
    This year, the jury selected mainly buildings from Western and Northern Europe: Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, and the UK have several representatives. Among the new EU member states, Poland succeeded with three buildings and Romania with one. Experts will now select five super finalists by the end of February, and after personally visiting the buildings, will decide on the final winner. His name will be announced on May 8.

40 finalists
AT 2226, Lustenau | Baumschlager Eberle Lustenau
BE Hostel Wadi in Hoge Rielen, Kasterlee | Studio Associato Bernardo Secchi-Paola Viganň
DE Immanuel Church, Cologne | Sauerbruch Hutton
DE Gleisdreieck Park, Berlin | Atelier Loidl
DE R50 – Cohousing, Berlin | Heide & Von Beckerath; Ifau und Jesko Fezer
DE Ravensburg Art Museum, Ravensburg | Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei
DK Vartov Square, Copenhagen | Hall McKnight
DK Moesgaard Museum, Hojbjerg | Henning Larsen Architects
DK Danish Maritime Museum, Helsingor | BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group
DK Childrens Home of the Future, Kerteminde | CEBRA architecture
DK Forfatterhuset Kindergarten, Copenhagen | COBE
ES Atrio - Relais Châteaux, Cáceres | Mansilla + Tuńón Arquitectos
ES Public Equipment: Urban Park and Transportation Hub, Logrońo | Ábalos + Sentkiewicz Arquitectos; Arquitectura Agronomia
ES Public Library, Ceuta | Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos
ES Luz House, Cilleros, Cáceres | Arquitectura-g
ES Contemporary Art Centre, Córdoba | Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos
FR Soulages Museum, Rodez | RCR Arquitectes
FR FRAC - Regional Contemporary Artwork Collection, Dunkerque | Lacaton & Vassal Architectes
FR Marseille Vieux Port, Marseille | Foster + Partners
GR Redevelopment of the New Waterfront, Thessaloniki | Nikiforidis-Cuomo Architects
IE University of Limerick, Medical School, Student Housing, Piazza and Pergola, Limerick | Grafton Architects
IE Waterford Medieval Museum, Waterford | Waterford City Council Architects
IS H71a, Reykjavík | Studio Granda
IT Expo Gate, Milan | Scandurra Studio Architettura
IT Antinori Winery, San Casciano Vsl di Pesa, Firenze | Archea Associati
NL Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam | Cruz Y Ortiz Arquitectos
NL Education Centre Erasmus Mc, Rotterdam | Kaan Architecten
NL De Rotterdam, Rotterdam | O.M.A.
NL Rozet, Culture House, Arnhem | Neutelings Riedijk Architects
PL Silesian Museum, Katowice | Riegler Riewe Architekten
PL Philarmonic Hall Szczecin, Szczecin | BarozziVeiga; Studio A4
PL Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Warszawa | Architects Lahdelma & Mahlamäki
PT Arquipélago - Contemporary Arts Centre, Ribeira Grande, Azores | Joăo Mendes Ribeiro Arquitecto; Menos é Mais Arquitectos Associados
PT High Performance Rowing Centre, Vila Nova de Roz Côa | SpacialAR-TE
RO 'Urban Spaces' Dogarilor Apartment Building, Bucharest | ADN Birou de Arhitectura
SE The New Crematorium of the Woodland Cemetery, Enskede, Stockholm | Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor
TR Sancaklar Mosque, Istanbul | Emre Arolat Architects
UK Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, London School of Economics, London | O’Donnell + Tuomey
UK Everyman Theatre, Liverpool | Haworth Tompkins
UK Bishop Edward King Chapel, Oxford | Niall McLaughlin Architects