40 projects shortlisted for 2022 EU Mies van der Rohe Award from record number of submissions

The shortlist for the 2022 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture — Mies van der Rohe Award has been announced, with 40 works selected from a record 532 nominated projects. The shortlisted projects are spread across 18 European countries, with Austria and France leading the listing with 5 projects each.

Of the 40 projects, 9 are categorized as collective housing, with 7 cultural buildings, 6 mixed-use schemes, 6 educational environments, 4 urban planning projects, 2 sport and leisure projects, and 1 project each from the categories of commerce, food & accommodation, industrial, landscape, office, and social welfare.

The award, operated on a biennial cycle, recognizes projects completed within the last two-and-a-half years, chosen to “achieve a thorough understanding of the transformation of the built environment; to recognize and commend excellence and innovation in the field of architecture; and to draw attention to the important contribution of architects in the development of new ideas with the undeniable support of clients and the involvement of those who will become the inhabitants and users of these places.”

The 40 projects comprising the 2022 shortlist were chosen over three days by a jury led by chairwoman Tatiana Bilbao. The remaining jury was formed of Francesca Ferguson, Mia Hägg, Triin Ojari, Georg Pendl, Spiros Pengas, and Marcel Smets.

“Rethinking the way we are building is a must,” said European Union Commissioner Mariya Gabriel on the unveiling of the shortlist. “High-quality architecture is a cornerstone of the European Commission’s approach to sustainability.”

“In redefining European architects’ role as caregivers, architecture contributes to the European Green Deal and its cultural component: the “New European Bauhaus.” The EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture — the Mies van der Rohe Award, highlights the contribution of architecture to sustainable development,” Gabriel continued. “We need young people, architects, artists, education and cultural professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs and regional authorities from all over Europe to actively engage and benefit from this initiative.”

Five finalists will be announced on February 16th, 2022, with the Architecture and Emerging Winners announced in mid-April. In May, a day-long event on EU Mies Award Day will see lectures by the architects of the winning and finalist works at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona.

Below, we have set out a selection of the shortlisted projects in no particular order, chosen instead to reflect the broad range of typologies contained within the shortlist. The full list is available here.