The Acropolis Museum in Athens designed by architect Bernard Tschumi is among the six finalists, announced on Tuesday by the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, competing for the 2011 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - the Mies van der Rohe Award.
The finalists have been short-listed from 343 works in 33 European countries. The award ceremony will take place on June 20 at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain.
The six finalists are, Neues Museum (Berlin, Germany) - David Chipperfield Architects / David Chipperfield; Bronks Youth Theatre (Brussels, Belgium) - MDMA - Martine De Maeseneer Architecten / Martine De Maeseneer, Dirk Van den Brande; MAXXI: Museum of XXI Century Arts (Rome, Italy) - Zaha Hadid Architects / Zaha Hadid, Patrick Schumacher, Gianluca Racana; Concert House Danish Radio (Copenhagen, Denmark) - Ateliers Jean Nouvel / Jean Nouvel; Acropolis Museum (Athens, Greece) - Bernard Tschumi Architects / Bernard Tschumi; Rehabilitation Centre Groot Klimmendaal (Arnhem, The Netherlands) -Architectenbureau Koen van Velsen / Koen van Velsen.
The prize highlights excellence in contemporary buildings and the contribution to the development of new ideas and technologies in urban development. Launched in 1987 and co-funded by the EU Culture Programme and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, the 60,000-euro prize is the most prestigious award in European architecture and is awarded every other year to works completed within the previous two years.
Works nominated for the prize are put forward by independent experts from all over Europe, as well as the member associations of the Architects' Council of Europe national architects' associations, and the advisory committee for the prize.
by M. Aroni
ANA-MPA
