Architecture

Eclectic Dutch firm Mecanoo wins European Prize for Architecture

View 11 Images
Netherlands-based firm Mecanoo has been declared the winner of this year's European Prize for Architecture. Its Library of Birmingham, pictured, is one of the firm's most distinctive designs to date
Tilburg, Netherlands' LocHal Public Library, by Mecanoo and Civic Architects, repurposes an old train storage shed into a unique public library
Stijn Bollaert
The LocHal Library includes a writer's room that's lined with books
Mecanoo
The LocHal Library leaves many of the original industrial elements of the former train shed on display
Mecanoo
Glass Villa on the lake is a stunning home on the water in Lechlade, UK
Blue Sky Images
The Glass Villa on the lake is connected to a main road with a wooden footbridge
mariashot.photo
As the name might suggest, the Glass Villa on the lake is big on transparency
mariashot.photo
The National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts in Taiwan houses a huge public plaza under its undulating roof
Iwan Baan/National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)
The National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts in Taiwan is an expansive facility that references the local landscape
Iwan Baan/National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)
The National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts in Taiwan houses a huge public plaza under its undulating roof
Iwan Baan/National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)
The stepped configuration of Tainan Public Library increases its perimeter at each level, creating a useful canopy
Netherlands-based firm Mecanoo has been declared the winner of this year's European Prize for Architecture. Its Library of Birmingham, pictured, is one of the firm's most distinctive designs to date
View gallery - 11 images

Netherlands-based firm Mecanoo has been declared the winner of this year's European Prize for Architecture. Now in its 11th year, the award celebrates the achievements of the finest European architects.

The annual European Prize for Architecture was established by the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. Previous winners read like a who's who of European architectural talent and include BIG, Santiago Calatrava, and Graft Architects.

"As one of Europe's most creative and cutting-edge offices, Mecanoo has shaped unique solutions for each varying situation, in which the disciplines of architecture, urban planning, landscape and interior combine in a non-traditional way," says Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, Museum President, The Chicago Athenaeum. "Over the years, they have learned that functions inevitably change, requiring an amazing amount of creative flexibility and acute aesthetic dexterity in order to create buildings that are prepared for (un)predictable change."

We've selected a few of our favorite projects by the firm below that highlight the sheer variety of its output, from public library to plush private home.

The LocHal Library includes moving tables that are based on old train chassis
Mecanoo

The Netherlands' LocHal Public Library, which was created in collaboration with Civic Architects, Arup, and more, won Mecanoo the prestigious World Building of the Year prize in 2019 for its repurposing of an old railway storage shed into a community library. Rather than hide its past, the superb project embraces it, incorporating old train tracks and even a disused train chassis to lend it a unique feel.

As the name might suggest, the Glass Villa on the lake is big on transparency
mariashot.photo

While perhaps not the most privacy focused home around, the open design of the Glass Villa on the lake in the UK does have its benefits: it was designed to give residents the impression of floating on the water and ensures the interior is filled with natural light. It's relatively energy efficient too, and includes a heat pump, heat recovery systems and triple glazed glass, as well as solar panels, which reduce its draw on the grid.

The National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts in Taiwan houses a huge public plaza under its undulating roof
Iwan Baan/National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

The National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts in Taiwan is a huge arts center that references the local landscape with its undulating roof. Built on former military land, the facility sits alongside subtropical parklands and is inspired by Banyan trees, a species typical in the area. The building's cavernous interior is host to multiple performance spaces.

Source: Mecanoo

View gallery - 11 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
1 comment
Nelson Hyde Chick
I guess few of New Atlas' readers are interested in architecture because their architecture posts never get any comments?