The ‘impeccable’ Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects in collaboration with Julian Harrap, has won The 2010 Crown Estate Conservation Award.
The award is presented to the best work of conservation that demonstrates the successful restoration and /or adaptation of an architecturally significant building.
The original Neues Museum was designed by Friedrich Stüler, and built between 1841 and 1859. The award-winning restoration project repaired the parts of the museum which suffered damage in the war, and integrated a series of cool modernist new interior spaces. The archaeological philosophy follows the guidelines in the Charter of Venice, in respecting the historic structure in its different states of ‘as found’ preservation. The original structure and decoration is sensitively emphasised in the project’s spatial context and materiality. The announcement was made at the RIBA Stirling Prize 2010 Dinner in association with The Architects’ Journal and Benchmark on Saturday 2 October 2010, at The Roundhouse, London. Tom Dyckhoff, architecture critic for The Times announced the winner, and the award presented by Emma Twyman, Head of Communications for The Crown Estate. The Award was judged by conservation architects Richard Griffiths and Paul Velluet, and the RIBA Head of Awards Tony Chapman. Speaking about the museum, conservation architect and judge, Paul Velluet, said: “The judges have selected the Neues Museum project in Berlin from a remarkably strong field of eligible conservation projects. What is most impressive about this project is the coherence with which the works of repair and reconstruction, such as the reinstated colonnade and remarkable vaulted clay-pot ceilings, have been integrated with new work; not least in the two glazed courtyards, and inside the Staircase Hall. The result is an exemplary fusion of new and old.” The other buildings shortlisted for the award were:
Aldeburgh Music Creative Campus, Aldeburgh by Haworth Tomkins
Norwich Cathedral Hostry, Norwich by Hopkins Architects with Henry Freeland, architect to the Norwich Cathedral
Corpus Christi College, Oxford by Rick Mather Architects
The Monument, City of London by Julian Harrap
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