When Niall McLaughlin was shortlisted for the Stirling prize in 2013, for designing an exquisitely jewel-like chapel for a theological college near Oxford, he brought along his client to the prize-giving ceremony. It was the first (and possibly last) time a group of Anglican nuns had ever graced such a spectacle. Despite clearly having God on his side, he lost out that year, but eventually scooped the Stirling in 2022, for the New Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge.
The European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe have announced the 40 shortlisted works for the 2026 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Awards, selected from a total of 410 nominations. The shortlist brings together projects from 18 countries and 36 cities, offering an overview of contemporary architectural production across Europe. Among the shortlisted works, France accounts for nine projects, followed by Spain with seven
Nearing completion, the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) emerges on the banks of Jinji Lake. Designed in collaboration with ARTS Group and Front Inc., and commissioned by Suzhou Harmony Development Group, the 60,000-square-meter complex (find designboom's previous coverage here) is envisioned as a contemporary reinterpretation of Suzhou's historic gardens. The structure unfolds as a village of twelve interconnected pavilions unified beneath a flowing, ribbon-like roof whose gentle undulations echo tiled eaves.