The Ostrava gallery Plato is among the seven finalists for the EU architectural award

Barcelona/Ostrava – Ostrava City Gallery Plato has made it to the final seven for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award, which is awarded every two years by the European Union. This was announced today by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation in Barcelona. A total of 362 projects competed for the award.

Plato Gallery is located in a renovated building of a former municipal slaughterhouse in Ostrava. The architectural design of the reconstruction was created by the Polish studio KWK Promes, led by Robert Konieczny. The building includes five exhibition halls that operate independently as well as in conjunction with one another. The original architectural solution of the gallery allows for six of its walls to be rotated, enabling it to be opened from all sides. The gallery began operating in its new location in September 2022, focusing on the presentation of contemporary art.

The five finalists in the Architecture category include, in addition to Plato Gallery in Ostrava, the study pavilion of the Technical University in Braunschweig, Germany, the Reggio School in Madrid, the Sainte-Lucie-de-Tallano convent in Corsica, and the public space Hage in Lund, Sweden.

Deputy Mayor of Ostrava Břetislav Riger (Ostravak) considers the inclusion among the finalists to be a huge success in itself. "It’s something fantastic because it is the most prestigious architectural award in Europe. I believe that the experience of architect Konieczný truly shone through; he has experience with competitions and is a well-known architect," Riger stated. He believes that merely advancing to the last finalists is a victory in itself.

In the Discovery category, the jury, which includes former Prague Mayor Adriana Krnáčová, has listed the Gabriel García Márquez Library in Barcelona and the reconstruction of the square in the Portuguese town of Piódao among the finalists.

The jury will visit the finalists in March and announce the winner on April 25. The award ceremony for the Mies van der Rohe Award will take place on May 14, 2024, in Barcelona.

According to the deputy mayor, however, the jury visits the sites secretly, so the city has no opportunity to be in contact with the jurors or to present the site in person. "Today, they were deciding based on photographs, and now the commission will come and assess it in reality. We will have to speak with the gallery director to ensure that any exhibition does not obscure specific details that should stand out," Riger said. "No one will know about their visit; they will come, buy a ticket, and enjoy. We have no chance for any personal approach or contact, it's like a Michelin star," he added.