Mies van der Rohe Award 2007 was awarded to MUSAC

Today, the winner of the Mies van der Rohe Award 2007 was announced, chosen by a jury chaired by Richard Burdett. Of the final seven finalists, MUSAC in León was ultimately selected, designed by the architect duo Luis Mansilla and Emilio Tuñón. The jury praised the authors of the cultural center for their structural contribution, but also because their building was designed as an open and flexible "checkerboard structure," unlike many other museums, which can be read in many different ways and thus provide spaces for a wide range of cultural events. The spaces consist of a system of rectangular and rhomboid rooms that prevent a hierarchical perception of the building. The architects developed their design as a bundle of interconnected exhibition rooms. The building is constructed from prefabricated concrete elements and is predominantly single-story, with skylights installed in four locations. Internal courtyards were incorporated into the mass of the building to illuminate the exhibition spaces while allowing for engaging views.
Mies van der Rohe Award has been awarded since 1988 every two years as an architectural prize of the European Union. In its short time, it has gained respect from the professional community. Special recognition was awarded to the Slovenian Bevk Perović arhitekti for the Faculty of Mathematics in Ljubljana. The award ceremony will take place on May 14 at Mies's Barcelona Pavilion. Among this year's finalists, announced at the end of January, were also Lacaton&Vassal, Rudy Ricciotti, UN Studio, and David Chipperfield. Link>