The winners of the 2011 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award has been honoured in Barcelona.

British Architect David Chipperfield in collaboration with Julian Harrap received the main prize for the reconstruction of the Neues Museum in Berlin and Ramon Bosch and Bet Capdeferro got the 'Emerging Architect Special Mention' for the Collage House in Girona. Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth and Ramón García-Bragado President of the Mies van deRohe Foundation, presented them with sculptures representing the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion and a cash prize of €60,000 and €20,000 respectively.

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"I hope this prize will encourage more public and private investors to support the immense talent that we have in Europe in the field of contemporary architecture. I'm sure that David Chipperfield will continue to produce many more magnificent projects, and to Bet Capdeferro and Ramon Bosch I wish a very successful international career in the future," said Commissioner Vassiliou.

Both the winning projects involved a blend of old and new materials, breathing new life into existing structures.

As well as recognising excellence, the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award encourages architects to work beyond their national borders and contribute to building a stronger and more creative Europe, in line with the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy.

The 12th awards ceremony coincides with the 25 anniversary of the inauguration of the reconstruction of the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in June 1986.

(CD)