Harpa wins Mies van der Rohe Award 2013

Designed by Henning Larsen Architects, Batteríid Architects, and Studio Olafur Eliasson, the building has helped to transform and revitalise Reykjavik harbour and brought the city and harbour district closer together. Harpa's crystalline structure was inspired by Icelandic landscapes and traditions. Its dramatic design captures and reflects the light of the city, ocean and sky to thrilling effect.

Peer Teglgaard Jeppesen, from Henning Larsen Architects said: “On behalf of the team I would like to thank the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe for this award. We are immensely honoured. Harpa is the result of collaborative process that has involved many people and with their efforts, strong commitment and drive Harpa has become a symbol of Iceland’s renewed dynamism.”

Wiel Arets, Chair of the Jury, said: "Harpa has captured the myth of a nation – Iceland – that has consciously acted in favour of a hybrid-cultural building during the middle of the ongoing Great Recession. The iconic and transparent porous 'quasi brick' appears as an ever-changing play of coloured light, promoting a dialogue between the city of Reykjavik and the building's interior life. By giving an identity to a society long known for its sagas, through an interdisciplinary collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects and artist Olafur Eliasson, this project is an important message to the world and to the Icelandic people, fulfilling their long expected dream."

The “Emerging Architect Special Mention” award goes to María Langarita and Víctor Navarro for the Nave de Música Matadero (Red Bull Music Academy) in Madrid, Spain. It was built in only two months to host a nomadic annual music festival in an early 20th century industrial warehouse complex in Madrid. It responded to the technical and acoustic needs of the event, while promoting and enriching artistic encounters between the participating musicians.

Videos of the winner, special mention, and finalists DETAIL report about Harpa

DETAIL report about the finalists

The winners were chosen from 335 submitted works in 37 European countries. Five works were shortlisted for the main award. The award ceremony will take place on 7 June at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, coinciding with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the prize.

Jury members

• Wiel Arets, Chair of the Jury, Principal, Wiel Arets Architects, Maastricht/Dean, College of Architecture, IIT, Chicago
• Pedro Gadanho, Curator, Contemporary Architecture, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
• Antón García-Abril, Principal, Ensamble Studio
• Louisa Hutton, Principal, Sauerbruch Hutton Architects, Berlin
• Kent Martinussen, CEO, The Danske Arkitekter Center (DAC), Copenhagen
• Frédéric Migayrou, Director, Architecture & Design, Centre Pompidou, Paris
• Ewa Porebska, Editor-in-Chief, Architektura-murator, Warsaw
• Giovanna Carnevali, Secretary of the Jury, Director, Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona

Background
The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award highlights the contribution of European architects to the development of new ideas and technologies in contemporary urban development. Launched in 1987 and co-funded by the EU Culture Programme and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, the prize is the most prestigious in European architecture. It is awarded every other year to works completed within the previous two years. The winner receives 60,000 Euro. This year’s ceremony is the 13th to take place since its launch. Previous winners

• Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany by David Chipperfiel/David Chipperfield Architects, in collaboration with Julian Harrap
• Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Oslo, Norway by SNØHETTA / Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, Tarald Lundevall, Craig Dykers
• MUSAC, León, Spain by Luis M. Mansilla, Emilio Tuñón / Mansilla + Tuñón Arquitectos  
• Netherlands Embassy Berlin, Germany by OMA / Rem Koolhaas, Ellen van Loon
• Kursaal Centre, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain by Rafael Moneo
• Car Park and Terminus Hoenheim North, Strasbourg, France by Zaha Hadid/ Zaha Hadid Architects
• Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria by Peter Zumthor
• Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, France by Dominique Perrault
• Waterloo International Station, London, UK by Nicholas Grimshaw / Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners
• Municipal Sports Stadium, Badalona (Barcelona), Spain by Esteve Bonell, Francesc Rius
• Stansted Airport, London, United Kingdom by Norman Foster / Norman Foster + Partners
• Banco Borges e Irmão, Vila do Conde, Portugal by Álvaro Siza Vieira

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