Dutch architects abroad

Cincinnati Art Museum Announces Short List of Architects

The Board of the Cincinnati Art Museum announced the short list of architecture firms selected as candidates to work with the Museum on the development of a new design and on the reconfiguration of its campus in the city’s Eden Park. Chosen under the leadership of Director Aaron Betsky, the four firms are:

- Diller Scofidio + Renfro (New York)

- Neutelings Riedijk (Rotterdam)

- Smith-Miller & Hawkinson (New York)

- UNStudio (Amsterdam)

The Cincinnati Art Museum opened in 1881, and during its 126-year-history has grown from a single building to a complex of seven individual, interconnected structures; these various wings were designed by a series of architects in a variety of styles. The new project will integrate these disparate structures into a unified and cohesive whole, combining innovative new design with a thoughtful and liberating reuse of the Museum’s existing spaces. Although the expansion planning is in its early stages and will continue to progress over the course of the design process, the Museum anticipates the project will add a minimum of 50,000 square feet of new construction. The Museum will select the project architect later this summer.

Erick van Egeraat wins RIBA and Renaissance Awards

Rotterdam, 25 May 2007 - Erick van Egeraat has received a RIBA Award for the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) in England's North East region. The building is now being considered for the National Awards, and ultimately, the Stirling Prize. The Royal Institute of British Architects will announce the national winners on 22 June 2007.

According to the jury report MIMA is 'a very elegant and enjoyable building which reconciles the urban aspirations of Middlesbrough with the need for a quality carefully crafted gallery.'

Besides the RIBA Award, MIMA has also won a Renaissance Award. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors awarded the prize in the tourism and leisure category. The jury concludes:

'As a project it seeks to provide an aspirational facility for the city, both as a cultural asset as well as a community space, and puts Middlesbrough on the map for cultural tourism. Mima wins the award in the tourism and leisure category because it seeks to make this step change for the arts, culture and tourism scene in this part of our region.'

The project has been completed in January 2007 by (EEA) Erick van Egeraat associated architects. The public square has been designed in conjunction with Dutch landscape architects West 8.

Maurice Nio builds in Prato

Maurice Nio (Nio Architecten) was entrusted by the Pecci Center in Prato (the first Italian contemporary art museum) to design the extension of their building. The project by Maurice Nio, titled Sensing the Waves, was presented, in a national preview, in Rome at the MAXXI Museum on May 15th. His proposal hosts new functions and displays the ability of the center to sense the ferments of a new cultural season. The renewed Pecci Center is scheduled to open to the public in the year 2010.

The first center for contemporary art in Italy was born in Prato in 1988. Its mission was promoting a sensitivity towards emerging art - both national and international - by means of temporary exhibits, didactic activities, shows and multimedia events. Today, after almost twenty years of activity, the Centro Pecci doubles. In two ways: it extends its building and expands its cultural program.

Claus en Kaan finalist in design competition Camp Nou

Claus en Kaan Architecten, together with 9 other architectural offices are invited to submit design proposals for the remodelling of one of the biggest stadiums in the world, FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou. In an international open competition architects were asked to develop a vision for the remodelling of what will become the worlds most modern stadium, the new Camp Nou.

The other finalists are: CRV Arquitectos, Seville; Domingo-Ferre. Catalonia; Ferrater-Serra/Vives/Cartagena-Arupsport, Catalonia; Foster+Partners, Great Brittain; GMP International, Germany; Herzog&De Meuron, Switserland; MAP Architects, Catalonia;Martínez Lapeña-Torres, Catalonia; Sanaa, Japan

The stadium, a design by Francesc Mitjans-Miró, Lorenzo García Barbón and Josep Soteres Mauri, was completed on September 24 1957. This year it will celebrate its 50th birthday. In light of this it was decided to modernise the stadium and increase the capacity from 98.787 to 118.000. The objective is to transform the stadium into an integrated and highly visible urban element.