Excellence in Catalan architecture is once again in the spotlight, as four Catalan architectural projects stand out among the 40 finalists for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Awards (EUmies Awards) 2024/European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.
This competition, promoted by the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, celebrates exceptional projects throughout Europe.
Among the Catalan finalists, there are two outstanding social housing blocks. Living in Lime’, designed by the Barcelona studio Peris+Toral, is a block of 42 social housing units in Son Servera, Mallorca. Another notable project is ‘Viviendas sociales 1737’ in Gavà, a work of the Sabadell studio Harquitectes.
In the social field, a day center for young people with autism, located in Vizcaya and designed by the Barcelona firm AV62 Arquitectos, has been selected as a finalist.
In addition, an ephemeral structure in Timisoara, Romania, created to house a tree nursery and discussions on the use of public space, is the work of Barcelona-based studio MAIO in collaboration with Studio Nomadic and Studio Peisaj.
The Gabriel García Márquez Library in Barcelona, recognized as the best public library in the world, also joins this outstanding list of finalists. This project, signed by the Madrid firm SUMA arquitectura, competes with three works from Madrid: the Reggio School, the Munch Museum in Oslo and the Bohinj Kindergarten in Bohinjska Bistrica.
Catalan architectural projects and the current challenges of the sector
In this 18th cycle of the EUmies Awards, a seven-member jury, chaired by Frédéric Druot, will evaluate the projects on the basis of the current challenges facing architects, clients, developers and policy makers in the context of the European Green Deal.
This approach ensures that the award-winning works are sustainable and aligned with the European Union’s environmental objectives.
With 40 selected works in 38 cities from 33 regions and 20 different countries, the EUmies Awards highlights the diversity in programs, scales and approaches of contemporary architecture in Europe.
Outstanding Spanish presence in the competition
Spain stands out as the country with the largest number of projects competing for the award, with six works selected.
In addition to the aforementioned ‘Living in Lime’ and ‘Viviendas sociales 1737’, other works include 42 social housing units in Son Servera (Mallorca) by Peris+Toral, the day center for young people with autism in Derio (Vizcaya) by AV62 Arquitectos, the municipal swimming pools in Castromonte (Valladolid) by Óscar Miguel Ares, and the Reggio school in Madrid by Andrés Jaque / Office for Political Innovation.
The announcement of the finalists in early February 2024 and the reveal of the Architecture and Emerging Architecture winners in mid-April this year will add an exciting chapter to the rich history of this prestigious European award.
