New museum in Berlin receives EU prize for contemporary architecture
Press release from 04/12/2011
The Neues Museum on Berlin's Museum Island has been awarded the "European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture/Mies van der Rohe Award 2011". This was announced yesterday by the European Commission. It was selected from 343 applicants from 33 European countries. The prize will be awarded on 20 June 2011 at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona.
The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, which is endowed with 60,000 euros, was established in 1987 and is awarded every two years. Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said of this year's winner: "The Neues Museum in Berlin unites past and present in a marvellous combination of contemporary architecture, restoration and art."
Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, commented: "After winning the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award last year, the building has now been honoured with the most prestigious European architecture prize. I don't think you see this combination very often! The prizes show that the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, with its constant and constructive cooperation with monument conservation organisations and architects, has found a good way to preserve the world cultural heritage Museum Island Berlin and at the same time set convincing contemporary accents."
In addition to the two EU prizes, the Neues Museum has received numerous other awards for its restoration by David Chipperfield Architects: The BDA Prize Berlin 2009, a special prize for the Architecture Prize Berlin 2009, the "Great Nike" (main prize) and the Nike for perfection of detail 2010 from the Association of German Architects, the BZ Culture Prize Berlin and the Travel + Leisure Design Award 2010 in the "Best Museum" category. In 2010, it also received the RIBA Award and the RIBA Crown Estate Conservation Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Excellence in Design Award in the "Historical Preservation/Restoration" category from the American Institute of Architecture UK Chapter.
Further information can be found on the website of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2013 and on the website of the European Commission.