News: Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavik, Iceland, by Henning Larsen Architects and artist Olafur Eliasson has won this year's European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the Mies van der Rohe Award.

The crystalline Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre by Henning Larsen Architects and Studio Olafur Eliasson with local practice Batteríið Architects beat four other projects on the Mies van der Rohe Award 2013 shortlist to scoop the €60,000 prize.

The Emerging Architect Special Mention award was given to María Langarita and Víctor Navarro for the Red Bull Music Academy, where they took over a warehouse and filled it with makeshift huts, providing individual studios for 60 musicians alongside a lecture hall, recording studio and staff offices.

The award ceremony will take place on 6 June at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain.

Opened to the public on 4 May 2011, the Harpa Concert Hall is clad in panes of clear and colour-coated glass on a faceted steel framework, scattering glittering reflections of the surrounding harbour and sky. Read more and and check out a full set of images of the Harpa Concert Hall in our earlier story.

The biennial Mies van der Rohe Award is the most prestigious accolade in European architecture and is awarded to the best building completed in the last two years by a European architect.

The four other projects on this year's shortlist were the Superkilen park by BIG in Denmark, Metropol Parasol by J. Mayer H. in Spain, a retirement home by Aires Mateus Arquitectos in Portugal and a Market Hall by Robbrecht en Daem architecten and Marie-José Van Hee architecten in Belgium. See all the projects shortlisted for the Mies van der Rohe award 2013.

Previous winners include David Chipperfield for the Neues Museum in Berlin in 2011 and Snøhetta for the Norwegian Opera & Ballet in Oslo in 2009. See all our stories about the Mies van der Rohe Award.

The prize is organised by the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, which was established in 1983 with the initial purpose of reconstructing the iconic pavilion designed by Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition, and now organises exhibitions and events promoting the study of Modern architecture and Mies van der Rohe's work.

This year's winning firm was founded in Denmark in 1959 by its namesake Henning Larsen, who last year was among the five laureates of the Praemium Imperiale arts prize awarded by the Japan Art Association. Henning Larsen Architects' recent projects include plans for a Danish headquarters for software giant Microsoft and a proposed complex of public and leisure buildings in Trondheim, Norway.

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson has worked on several other architectural projects throughout his career, including a fort-like headquarters for a Danish investment company and a temporary pavilion outside London's Serpentine Gallery, which he designed with architect Kjetil Thorsen of Snøhetta in 2007.

More about the Mies van der Rohe Award »
More about architecture by Henning Larsen »
More about Olafur Eliasson »

Here's some more information from the Mies van der Rohe Foundation:

Harpa wins the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2013

Harpa, the Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Iceland, is the winner of the 2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation announced today. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects, Batteríið Architects and Studio Olafur Eliasson, the building has helped to transform and revitalise Reykjavik harbour and brought the city and harbour district closer together. 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. 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.

"Architecture is one of the most visible expressions of our contemporary culture. My warmest congratulations go to this year's winners – indeed, to all of those who made the final shortlist. They have created buildings which are not only of the highest aesthetic and technical quality, but also places which touch our emotions and bring people together. I would also like to thank the Mies van der Rohe Foundation for their excellent collaboration in helping to bring the best of contemporary European architecture to worldwide attention," said Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.

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 Nave de Música Matadero Madrid (Red Bull Music Academy) 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.

Antoni Vives, President of the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, said: "It has been an honour for the city of Barcelona and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation to grant this Prize with the European Commission for the last 25 years: a quarter of a century of the best European architecture. I would like to congratulate the winners of this 13th edition and I would like encourage architects to continue to play their role as catalysts for transforming cities."

The winners were chosen from 335 submitted works in 37 European countries. Five works were shortlisted for the main award. The other finalists were: Market Hall (Ghent, Belgium by Robbrecht en Daem architecten; Marie-José Van Hee architecten); Superkilen (Copenhagen, Denmark by BIG Bjarke Ingels Group; Topotek1; Superflex); Home for Elderly People (Alcácer do Sal, Portugal by Aires Mateus Arquitectos) and Metropol Parasol (Seville, Spain by J. Mayer H).

The jury members who selected the finalists for 2013 are: 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.

About the Mies van der Rohe Award

The architecture sector is at the heart of Europe's vibrant cultural and creative industries. It directly employs more than half a million people, as well as more than 12 million in the construction sector. Architecture is part of the cultural and creative sectors, which contribute 4.5% to the EU's GDP.

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. This year’s ceremony is the 13th to take place since its launch.

Works nominated for the Prize are put forward by independent experts from all over Europe, as well as by the member associations of the Architects’ Council of Europe, national architects’ associations, and the Advisory Committee for the Prize.

The Prize is named after Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who is regarded as one of the pioneers of 20th century modern architecture. His most celebrated works include the German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona Exhibition, Villa Tugendhat in Brno, Czech Republic, the Seagram Building in New York and the National Gallery in Berlin.

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News: Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects has designed a headquarters for software giant Microsoft as part of plans for a new university and business district north of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Commissioned by the council of Lyngby-Taarbæk, the project will see Henning Larsen Architects develop a 40,000-square-metre cluster of buildings containing student residences and shops alongside the Microsoft offices.

The software firm also plans to make its facilities available to the community. "The citizens can use our open cafe and technology area, students can use our allocated study area, and we will regularly host different events that will connect us even closer to the local area and Denmark," said Niels Soelberg, CEO for Microsoft Denmark.

Located in the area of Kanalvejsgrunden in Lyngby, the buildings will form part of the council's vision for the Lyngby-Taarbæk City of Knowledge and Urban Development 2020, an initiative to promote the district as a leading university town and centre of creative business.

"The project reflects an interesting urban development strategy. Knowledge-intensive businesses are connected to urban life and the local study community," said Lyngby-Tarbæk's mayor Søren P. Rasmussen. "The building will create a lot of new jobs and provide a welcoming, dynamic urban space where city centre and green areas meet."

The architects will collaborate on the project with financial firm Danica Pension, engineering consultants COWI and project managers Alectia.

Construction work is expected to begin later in 2013.

Henning Larsen Architects' recent projects include proposals for a public square and offices in Trondheim, Norway and a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavik, Iceland – see all architecture by Henning Larsen Architects.

Last year Microsoft opened a Vienna office featuring themed meeting rooms, artificial grass and a huge slide – see all news about Microsoft.

Here's more information from Henning Larsen:

In the heart of Lyngby situated north of Copenhagen, Danica Pension in collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects, COWI and Alectia have developed the area of Kanalvejsgrunden with a new building that will comprise student residences, retail and Microsoft's new Danish headquarters. The project will create a new unique urban space accessible to everyone and will bring citizens, students and businesses closer together.

The municipal council of Lyngby-Taarbæk looks forward to seeing an open, innovative building rising in the city centre. The project marks an important step in the realisation of the municipality’s visions for Lyngby-Taarbæk City of Knowledge and Urban Development 2020 – a locally developed initiative aiming at making Lyngby one of the leading university cities and centres of knowledge and creativity in Northern Europe.

Mayor Søren P. Rasmussen says: "The project reflects an interesting urban development strategy. Knowledge-intensive businesses are connected to urban life and the local study community. In addition, the building will create a lot of new jobs and provide a welcoming, dynamic urban space where city centre and green areas meet."

Microsoft's new headquarters forms part of the organisation's overall vision to create the workplace of the future – where employees are supported in their different ways of thinking, working and collaborating through a flexible interior layout, based on state-of-the-art technologies. Henning Larsen Architects has had a close dialogue with Microsoft in the space planning process.

The municipality's ambition of positioning itself as a leading knowledge city has been a determining factor for Microsoft's decision to consolidate its activities and employees from their two companies in Denmark in Lyngby.

"Microsoft is already well-established in Denmark with our 900 employees and more than 3,700 partner companies, and we also look forward to becoming an active part of the knowledge and university centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk. The citizens can use our open café and technology area, students can use our allocated study area, and we will regularly host different events that will connect us even closer to the local area and Denmark," says Niels Soelberg, CEO for Microsoft Denmark.

The new building will be located on a 16,350 m2 plot in the centre of Lyngby, in the street of Kanalvej between Klampenborgvej and Toftebæksvej. The building will cover a total of 40,000 m2. The first sod is expected to be cut already later in 2013.

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News: Danish architect Henning Larsen is among the five laureates of the Praemium Imperiale arts prize, awarded annually by the Japan Art Association.

The Praemium Imperiale is awarded in the fields of painting, sculpture, architecture, music and theatre/film, and other winners this year include Italian sculptor Cecco Bonanotte and Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang.

Each laureate receives £115,000, a diploma and a medal, which will be presented at a ceremony in Tokyo in October.

Sculptor Anish Kapoor and architect Ricardo Legorreta were among last year's winners, while other past winners include Richard Rogers, Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid.

See more stories about Henning Larsen on Dezeen »

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Danish architects Henning Larsen and Norwegian landscape architect Gullik Gulliksen have won a competition to design municipal offices and a public square in Trondheim, Norway.

Proposed for the southwest area of Leüthens, the project is entitled Leüthens Kulturhage, which translates as “Leüthen’s cultural garden”, and will also include a theatre and cinema.

Inside the office block, displaced floors accommodating meeting areas and balconies will overlook a large atrium that will face the new square.

The project is expected to complete in 2015.

This year Henning Larsen Architects also completed a concert hall in Iceland - see that project here.

Here's some more information from the architects:

Henning Larsen Architects and the Norwegian landscape architect Gullik Gulliksen have won the international competition for a new urban district in Trondheim city centre.

With an innovative, open office building and a new cinema next to the city theatre, the project proposal titled ‘Leüthens Kulturhage’ – ‘Leüthen’s Cultural Garden’ – will bring new life to the area. The building will spearhead the development of green public buildings in Norway. Centered around a new square, the two buildings will create a common identity for the area and bring together the existing educational and cultural institutions.

A unanimous jury selected Henning Larsen Architects’ project as winner of the competition in which a number of Danish and Norwegian architecture studios participated. The jury emphasised the winning proposal’s use of the site potential and interaction with the city and surrounding buildings.

The project covers a total of 39,000 m2 and is expected to be completed during 2015. Henning Larsen Architects has worked in Norway for many years. In 1978, Trondheim University (today called The Norwegian University of Science and Technology) at Dragvoll was inaugurated. Currently, the company is working on a new commercial domicile in Oslo.

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Architects and Gullik Gulliksen appeared first on Dezeen.

Copenhagen studio Henning Larsen Architects and Icelandic studio Batteriid Architects have completed a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland, in collaboration with artist Olafur Eliasson.

Panes of clear and colour-coated glass surround a steel framework of twelve-sided modules on the south facade of the Harpa Concert and Conference Centre.

Inspired by basalt crystals, the faceted glass scatters reflections of the surrounding harbour and sky, and presents a glittering wall of light after dark.

A flattened version of this geometry surrounds the other elevations of the building.

Three large concert halls occupy the first floor, including one finished entirely in red, while a smaller fourth hall on the ground floor provides a venue for intimate performances and banquets.

Visitors access the main foyer from a south-facing entrance, while staff and performers enter the backstage area from the north.

The project was featured on Dezeen last year, when it was still under construction - see our earlier story here.

See more projects by Henning Larsen Architects on Dezeen here, and more projects by artist Olafur Eliasson here.

Photography is by Nic Lehoux.

Here are some more details from Henning Larsen Architects:

Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavik gathers inspiration from the northern lights and the dramatic Icelandic scenery.

Situated on the border between land and sea, the Centre stands out as a large, radiant sculpture reflecting both sky and harbour space as well as the vibrant life of the city.

The spectacular facades have been designed in close collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects, the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and the engineering companies Rambøll and ArtEngineering GmbH from Germany.

The Concert Hall and Conference Centre of 28,000 m2 is situated in a solitary spot with a clear view of the enormous sea and the mountains surrounding Reykjavik.

The Centre features an arrival and foyer area in the front of the building, four halls in the middle and a backstage area with offices, administration, rehearsal hall and changing room in the back of the building.

The three large halls are placed next to each other with public access on the south side and backstage access from the north.

The fourth floor is a multifunctional hall with room for more intimate shows and banquets.

Seen from the foyer, the halls form a mountain-like massif that similar to basalt rock on the coast forms a stark contrast to the expressive and open facade.

At the core of the rock, the largest hall of the Centre, the main concert hall, reveals its interior as a red-hot centre of force.

The project is designed in collaboration with the local architectural company, Batteríið Architects.

Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre forms part of an extensive harbour development project in Reykjavik, the East Harbour Project.

As the name indicates, the overall objective of the project is to expand and revitalise Reykjavik's eastern harbour with a new downtown plaza, a shopping street, a hotel, residential buildings, educational institutions and mixed industry.

The overall intention is to generate life in the area and to create a better connection between the city centre and the harbour.

Situated outside the city's building mass, the building will become a significant icon in the city - a visual attractor with a powerful and varying expression.

The isolated location will mean that, to a great extent, the changing climatic and light effects will be exposed in the facades of the concert building, often in contrast to the narrow and shady streets in the rest of the city.

Henning Larsen Architects has designed the facade of the Concert Hall in close collaboration with the local architects Batteríið Architects and the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.

As the rest of the building, the design of the facades is inspired by nature.

In particular, the characteristic local basalt formations have provided the inspiration for the geometric facade structure.

Made of glass and steel in a twelve-sided space-filling geometric modular system called the 'quasibrick', the building appears a kaleidoscopic play of colours, reflected in the more than 1000 quasibricks composing the southern facade.

The remaining facades and the roof are made of sectional representations of this geometric system, resulting in two-dimensional flat facades of five and sixsided structural frames.

In order to develop these ideas the team worked with three-dimensional computer models, finite element modelling, various digital visualisation techniques as well as maquettes, models and mock-ups.

Light and transparency are key elements in the building.

The crystalline structure, created by the geometric figures of the facade, captures and reflects the light - promoting the dialogue between the building, city and surrounding landscape.

One of the main ideas has been to "dematerialise" the building as a static entity and let it respond to the surrounding colours - the city lights, ocean and glow of the sky.

In this way, the expression of the facade changes according to the visual angle.

With the continuously changing scenery, the building will appear in an endless variation of colours.

Click above for larger image

Click above for larger image

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