About

MISSION AND VISION
Architecture is a way of seeing, thinking and questioning our world and our place in it.

The EUmies Awards is recognised worldwide as the most important and prestigious architecture prize in Europe. It is one of the European Union cultural prizes promoted by Creative Europe and it celebrates excellence in architectural works across Europe, highlighting the contribution of quality architecture to sustainable development and citizens’ well-being. 

Organised by Fundació Mies van der Rohe in Barcelona, the Prize defines excellence in a holistic sense: it evaluates how works of architecture integrate natural, built, and human ecologies to enhance the quality of the places where we live. Grounded by an awareness of the present, it optimistically points to the future.

Beyond simply identifying these works, the Prize actively shares and draws on their stories contributing to the European architectural policy established about 20 years ago. The foundation of this policy rests on two pillars: it exists, on the one hand, thanks to the political documents adopted by the Council, which initially invited the Commission and the Member States to promote quality in architecture and, on the other hand, the EUmies Awards plays a key role in highlighting outstanding works of architecture and best practices in Europe.

AIMS
The aims of the Prize are to recognize, promote, and celebrate excellence in the field of architecture and more specifically, to:
• Highlight outstanding examples of architectural quality and creativity in works less than two years old.
• Underline that contemporary architecture is socially and culturally rooted in European cities and its territory and is important to people’s everyday lives.
• Build and help raise awareness on the benefits quality architecture can generate for sustainable growth, the circular economy, the environment and social cohesion.

CATEGORIES
The Prize is organised in three categories according to the experience of the architects:
• The Architecture category is awarded to single architectural works demonstrating excellence in conceptual, social, cultural and technical terms.
• The Emerging category is awarded to single architectural works built by architects who are at the beginning of their careers.
• Young Talent is awarded to final diploma projects by recently graduated architects, landscape architects and urban planners.

NETWORK
The Prize benefits from a vast network of people from the entire European territory who raise awareness of quality architecture and its contribution to our well-being through sustainable development. These people are organised through the Committee of Honour, the Advisory Committee, over 200 Experts, the Juries, architecture studios, universities and all those that make these works possible. These people help detect the buildings that are built, detect the discussions taking place in each territory and reach policymakers and decision-makers to share conclusions and know-how.

ACTIONS
Once the shortlist, finalists and winners are announced, the discussions and outcomes are shared through various events across Europe and beyond.”

· The EUmies Awards Day for Architecture and Emerging is organised in and around the Barcelona Pavilion to speak about the results of these two categories with the authors and clients of the winning and finalist works. The Awards Ceremony takes place with all those involved in the Prize and a general audience.

· The EUmies Awards Day for Young Talent takes place in Venice during La Biennale di Venezia. It brings together the winners and the jury members as well as participants, university representatives and finalists. 

· The Architecture and Emerging Exhibition includes different layers of information on the 40 shortlisted works. Models, photos, drawings, parts of buildings and videos allow an experience within the buildings and invite visitors to travel and visit them.

· The Young Talent Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia presents the strengths and visions of very young professionals. The print-it-yourself version of the exhibition travels to universities and arises debates among students and professors.

· Out&About is the opportunity to visit and learn about the 40 shortlisted works presented by their authors.

· Architecture & the Media is the place to meet and exchange experiences on the dissemination of architecture.

· The participation in international events strengthens the visibility of the Prize in celebrations such as Biennales, Festivals and World Expos.

· The EUmies Awards Books have become benchmark publications in architecture with relevant texts and documents. The Documentaries are shown in exhibitions and lectures and presented to film festivals. Subtitles in different languages increase inclusivity.

The following reflection by a jury member summarises the aim of this exhibition: “In most of the projects you can feel that the architects want to express their own ideas – architecture is still an art – but at the same time they try to exploit the potential of what architecture can become in a society that is changing in a very radical way. This selection is a faithful picture of what architecture is today in relation to society.”

AFTERMATH
A series of actions take place to extend the results of the Prize beyond the immediate recognition of winners and finalists. They amplify the visibility of the awarded projects and architects, often leading to new opportunities, commissions, and collaborations and spark public discussions, exhibitions, and events, fostering dialogue about the state of architecture and its future direction. The Prize actively shares and builds upon the experience of all these works contributing to: 

· their recognition and prestige 
· an increased visibility of architecture and its role 
· influencing architectural challenges 
· conversations and critical reflection 
· making an impact on future projects 
· encouraging young talents to continue researching 
· providing a cultural and societal impact 
· further dissemination and learning 
· the creation of an archive 
· strengthen a sustainable mobility as shown in the map

These opportunities steer design and building processes towards regenerative practices and  efficient use of resources in line with the values of the European Green Deal.

The Trophies

• The Architecture Winner and the Emerging Winner of the EUmies Awards receive a sculpture originally designed by Xavier Corberó in 1988 that evokes the Barcelona Pavilion, linking the prize visually and conceptually to one of the most iconic works in modern architecture.
• Finalists and the clients of Architecture and Emerging works are recognised with a sculpture designed by Tomoko Sakamoto and David Lorente, which honours their indispensable contribution to contemporary architecture.
• Winners of the EUmies Awards Young Talent receive a sculpture designed by Jorge García Olalla and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe team which reuses wood from different sources for each edition.

About the Artists

• Xavier Corberó (1935–2017) was a significant Catalan sculptor known for monumental public works and a distinctive, poetic approach to material and form, and is widely regarded as one of the most important Catalan artists since Antoni Gaudí.
• Tomoko Sakamoto and David Lorente are designers and founders of Spread whose work for the EUmies Awards trophies contributes a complementary artistic expression that recognises participation, collaboration, and the broader ecosystem of contemporary architecture.
• Jorge García Olalla is an architect and principal of Buit Taller, whose work for the EUmies Awards Young Talent trophy contributes a thoughtful architectural expression that highlights creativity, material intelligence, and the collaborative networks central to contemporary architectural practice. Buit Taller.

These sculptures symbolise both the architectural legacy of Modernity and the collective effort behind realized contemporary work, reinforcing the Awards’ mission of celebrating excellence in European architecture.

The EUmies Awards are organised by the Fundació Mies van der Rohe with Creative Europe and benefit from the participation of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE), the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE) along with World-Architects as strategic partner, the partnership with Jung, Jansen, Zumtobel and the support of USM modular furniture and Alma and theEuropean Cultural Centre is the venue partner in Venice.