EUmies Awards 2026 Announced at AALTOSIILO

On 16 April 2026, AALTOSIILO hosted the announcement of the winners of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Awards, as part of Oulu’s year as European Capital of Culture.

The event brought together representatives from the European Commission, the Fundació Mies van der Rohe and a range of architects and institutional partners. It was the first time the awards were announced outside Barcelona, drawing unusual attention to Oulu and to the AALTOSIILO site itself. As one Finnish newspaper noted, “the eyes of the entire architecture industry are now here.”

Designed by Aino and Alvar Aalto in 1931, the former cellulose silo in Meri-Toppila provided the setting. Its transformation into a cultural venue is being led by architect Charlotte Skene Catling (Skene Catling de la Peña), as part of a wider effort to test how industrial structures can be reused and reactivated.

Two winning projects were selected from 410 nominated works across Europe. The main award went to the renovation of the Charleroi Palais des Expositions in Belgium by AgwA and architecten jan de vylder inge vinck. The Emerging Architecture prize was awarded to Temporary Spaces for the Slovenian National Theatre Drama by Vidic Grohar Arhitekti.

The jury emphasised approaches that work with existing buildings, focusing on transformation, reuse and adaptation rather than replacement.

The announcement was followed by a public discussion including Charlotte Skene Catling, Ivan Blasi (Fundació Mies van der Rohe), Jutta Kastner (European Commission), Piia Rantala-Korhonen (CEO, Oulu 2026), Asko Takala (SAFA), Kari Nykänen (City of Oulu) and Dr. Kalle Nuortimo (Oulu University of Applied Sciences).

The event also marked the launch of the “Oulu Protocol”, an ongoing initiative focused on the reuse of concrete spolia in construction. Developed in dialogue with European partners and now backed by the European Commission, the protocol aims to challenge and evolve current legislation around the use of reclaimed concrete.

The awards ceremony will take place in Barcelona in May 2026, with an exhibition of selected projects travelling across Europe.