Petersen bricks feature in six nominations for the 2022 edition of the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award. Coveted by the global architectural community, the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – the Mies van der Rohe Award – is organised by the Fundació Mies van der Rohe and the European Commission with the biennial award recognising and commending quality architectural production in Europe.
For the 2022 prize, 449 works – completed between October 2018 and October 2020 – were nominated across 279 cities in 41 countries. In September, a new group of nominated projects will be added, finished between November 2020 and April 2021. The shortlist for these will be announced in January 2022, with 5 finalists announced in February and the ultimate winner in April 2022.
“The EU Mies Award, as the resulting work of a strong network of Europeans, shows that quality can be understood in many different ways but that it must always be connected to the present challenges with the environment and make cities and infrastructure more sustainable and resilient,” Anna Ramos, director Fundació Mies van der Rohe commented.
The six nominated projects include:
France: Pierres Blanches Cultural Centre, Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau
Softly integrated into the landscape, the facades of this new centre alternate between smooth walls and moucharabiehs, a subtle nod to the dynamic silhouette of the whole. According to the Mies van der Rohe jury, “the architects have managed to create the contemporaneity of an architectural writing, sober and playful”.
Pierres Blanches Cultural Centre | Architect: RAUM | Product: Petersen D71 bricks | Image: Audrey Cerdan
Belgium: Z33, House for Contemporary Art, Hasselt
This work is an extension to the existing museum, and the architect worked in close collaboration with Petersen Tegl to create the custom-produced, handmade, and rhombus-shaped bricks. Each handmade brick presents a square face laid on the diagonal, so as to form a surface of densely packed diamonds.
Z33, House for Contemporary Art | Architect: Francesca Torzo | Product: Handmade, rhombus-shaped Petersen bricks, developed in collaboration with Petersen Tegl | Image: Gion von Albertini
Belgium: Three Traction Stations Bravo 2, Antwerp
The three tram traction stations were commissioned by De Lijn, the public transport company of Berlin to provide power to the new tram line in Antwerp. Each station was created differently, making use of the individual local settings, brought to life with beautiful bricks.
Three Traction Stations Bravo 2 | Architect: Van Belle & Medina Architects | Product: Petersen D72 bricks | Image: Stijn Bollaert
Germany: Muslim Burial and Prayer House, Hamburg
This new addition to the Finkenriek cemetery was designed to create a worthy atmosphere, combining the Hanseatic and Muslim traditions of building culture.
Muslim Burial and Prayer House | Architect: Medine Altiok | Product: Petersen D72 bricks | Image: Jens Franke
Sweden: Stenhöga Office Building, Stockholm
The Mies van der Rohe jury says: “The office buildings were developed around the idea that the most sustainable buildings are those which remain in use the longest. Robustness is crucial to longevity, so solid and reliable construction methods are fundamental.” The scale, orientation and materiality of the new buildings were designed as a response to the diverse character of the neighbourhood, a semi-urban context of large scale developments at the edge of the city, where brick buildings from different periods, and of varying sizes, dominate.
Stenhöga Office Building | Architect: Tham & Videgård | Product: Petersen D71 bricks | Image: Ake E:son Lindman
The Netherlands: Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden
This is a contemporary extension to the historical museum, where the architects designed a large number of moulded bricks to achieve their desired patterns. The extension is called the Van Steijn building and has a brick facade with concertina-style folds that was designed as a reference to fabric factories and woven textiles, as the original building was a centre for the fabric trade.
Museum De Lakenhal | Architect: Happel Cornelisse Verhoeven | Product: Petersen D190 bricks, and moulded bricks | Image: Paul Kozlowski, Karen Borghouts
Robertson's Building Products Pty Ltd wishes every architect the very best in the lead-up to the award announcements.
Main Image: Pierres Blanches Cultural Centre, Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau | Photo: Audrey Cerdan
