Main prize of the Europa Nostra Award
Press release from 06/14/2010
Last Thursday, the Neues Museum der Museumsinsel Berlin was honoured with one of the main prizes of the "European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award". The six "Grand Prix Laureates" were selected from a total of 139 projects submitted from 26 European countries. The jury was impressed by the rebirth of the Neues Museum, which had been submitted in the "Conservation" category: "The project was conducted with great elegance and efficiency, resulting in an outstanding and exciting example of a sensitive incorporation of groundbreaking contemporary architecture into the minimal-reconstruction of the original structure."
Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, who accepted the award at a ceremony in Istanbul, said: "Around ten years ago, the Museum Island Berlin was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List - an obligation that the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, as the building owner, is aware of at every step of the restoration of the Museum Island. I am delighted that the New Museum, which was so wonderfully restored by David Chipperfield Architects and was sometimes controversial during its construction, has now received this outstanding recognition. The award also emphasises the great approval that the building receives from its visitors every day. "
The Europa Nostra Award has been presented since 2002 by the European Commission and "Europa Nostra", the European association of non-governmental heritage organisations, in recognition of outstanding projects for the preservation of Europe's cultural heritage. The aim is to enforce high quality standards and promote cross-border exchange.
Since its opening on 16 October 2009, the Neues Museum has received numerous awards: At the end of May, it was honoured with the RIBA Award 2010, the annual prize awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects since 1966. Prior to this, it had already received the BDA Prize Berlin 2009, a special prize for the triennial Berlin Architecture Prize 2009, the "Great Nike" (main prize) and the Nike for perfection of detail 2010 from the Association of German Architects as well as the Travel + Leisure Design Award 2010 in the category "Best Museum".