The winners of the Mies van der Rohe Award 2017 have been revealed. The Navez social housing complex in Schaerbeek, Brussels, by the French-speaking Belgian architects MSA / V+, won an award in the “Emerging Architect” category.
On 12 May 2017, the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe announced the names of the two winners of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2017 in Brussels. This award is presented every two years to raise awareness about and recognise representative examples of architectural quality in Europe, in terms of their constructional, conceptual, social, cultural and technical qualities. The jury also awards a Special Prize to an Emerging Architect. The foundation works with a network of experts and a committee of institutions and architects’ associations.
The seven members of the jury panel – Stephen Bates (UK), Gonçalo Byrne (PT), Peter Cachola Schmal (DE), Pelin Derviş (TR), Dominique Jakob (FR), Juulia Kauste (FI) and Małgorzata Omilanowska (PL) – elected to present the “Emerging Architect Special Mention” to the Navez social housing complex in Schaerbeek, which was built by the French-speaking Belgian architects MSA, in a temporary association with V+, as part of the Navez-Portaels Neighbourhood Redevelopment Contract. Ney & Partners was tasked with the structural engineering.
This is the first time, since the Prize’s creation in 1988, that a Belgian architect’s firm wins one of the two awards. In previous years, two other Belgian projects were shortlisted as finalists, namely Stadshal Gent by Paul Robbrecht, Hilde Daem and Marie-José Van Hee (2013) and the Theater voor Jong Publiek Bronks by MDMA - Martine De Maeseneer Architecten (2011).
The EU Mies Award 2017 winner is deFlat Kleiburg in Amsterdam by NL Architects and XVW architectuur. The four other finalists were Ely Court in London (UK) by Alison Brooks Architects; Kannikegården in Ribe (DK) by Lundgaard&Tranberg Architects; Katyn Museum in Warsaw (PL) by BBGK Architekci, Jerzy Kalina and Maksa, and Rivesaltes (FR) Memorial Museum by Rudy Ricciotti.
Both the Awards for 2017 recognised collective housing projects with a social dimension, with what Anna Ramos qualified as a “heroic and ordinary” approach. According to the jury, MSA/V+ brilliantly identified and solves the constructional and economic constraints of the programme and site, building five apartments on a very small corner plot near the northern gateway into the City of Brussels. The jury appreciated the outstanding quality of the flats, which are all different, and which all benefit from natural light from every angle, with outdoor space and impressive views and which offer a dynamic spatial experiences, both in the communal and private spaces. The jury members also emphasised the architects’ meticulous work as they sought to incorporate the building in its surroundings, creating a new landmark in the urban landscape.
The travelling exhibition that showcases the forty shortlisted projects includes a second Belgian project, which was also created by a French-speaking architect’s firm, namely the ADEPS sports hall, Multipurpose hall, in Spa by Baukunst. As was the case in previous years, BOZAR Brussels will host the exhibition from 8 September until 22 October 2017.
This accolade recognises the growing quality of the architectural output of French-speaking architects’ firms, with the support of the governmental policies for the promotion of architectural quality in the past twenty years. The Brussels-Capital Region has its Neighbourhood Redevelopment Contracts, of which the Navez social housing project is an excellent example. In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the Architecture Unit is responsible for this, with projects like the ADEPS sports hall in Spa. In 2015, the Navez social housing project also received the Public Contracting Prize of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, in the social housing category.
The work of MSA, V + and Baukunst are currently promoted around the world in travelling exhibitions created by WBA (Wallonia-Brussels Architectures). This agency, which is tasked with the international promotion of the architects of Wallonia and Brussels, was created seven years ago by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and Wallonie-Bruxelles International.
The awards ceremony will be held in the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona on 26 May 2017.
Contact Wallonia-Brussels Architectures: Aurore Boraczek
