best architects 19, the best of European architecture

The European best architects award is hugely popular because it gives us a picture of what’s happening at the moment in European architecture. Like the previous years, the winning projects are presented in a dedicated volume, a book about exceptional architecture.


If you're looking for the perfect gift for an architect or an architecture-lover in general, then the book best architects 19, just published, is the answer. This 400-page book presents the 70 projects labelled “best architects 19”, plus another 12 distinguished with the “best architects 19 in Gold” award for particularly outstanding quality.
The best architects award shows the many directions in which the European architectural scene is heading. As usual, making a final choice from a whopping 361 projects was certainly not easy. In 2015 the award competition was opened up to participants from all over Europe and it is broken down into the eight categories: single-family residential, multi-family residential, office and administrative buildings, commercial and industrial buildings, educational buildings, public buildings, other buildings and interior design. Because awarding only the best means first defining the criteria “that stand for meaningful advances in individual building culture,” in the words of Thomas Lechner from lp architektur in Altenmarkt/PG, a jury member together with Prof. Jonathan Sergison from Sergison & Bates architects. Instead, the question put by Raphael Frei from Pool Architekten di Zurigo was: “What makes for the kind of architecture that whets our curiosity, makes us want to look again, to find out more and to tell others about it?”
The huge variety of winning projects is proof that architectural quality isn't just a question of a project's budget, size or prestige. Quality is the result of above-average commitment and enthusiasm on the part of architects. So we have famous architecture firms, which have made their names with exceptional buildings, standing alongside lots of new discoveries. 
The residential single-family gold award-winners are Holzer Kobler Architekturen, Zurich (CH) with ELLI, López Rivera Arquitectes, Barcelona (ES) with Two Cork Houses and Schmid Schärer Architekten, Zurich (CH) with Haus am Müseliweg.
The gold winners for residential multi-family are the group weberbrunner architekten/soppelsa architekten, Zurich (CH) with the project Hagmannareal Winterthur, Meier Leder Architekten, Baden (CH) with Wohnhaus Gartenstrasse and Meili & Peter Architekten, Zurich (CH) with City West - Zölly Hochhaus.
The education buildings awards went to Extension of the Hunzenschwil secondary school by Schmid Schärer Architekten, Zurich  (CH), to Skop, Zurich (CH) for Port School and to TEd'A arquitectes, Palma de Mallorca (ES) with their project School in Orsonnens.
The other buildings category gold awards went to Aulets Arquitectes di Palma de Mallorca (ES) for their Renovation of an oenological station and to Hannes Sampl, Salzburg (A) for the project Kendlbruck mountain chapel. MET architects, Basel (CH) won the gold award for St. Johann Schoolhouse in the interior design category.
Just as ambitious as the projects submitted is the publication of the best architects volume, a modern and abstract take on the traditional book form with a curved spine.

Christiane Bürklein

«best architects 19» ISBN 978-3-946021-03-2
32.5 x 23.5 cm hardcover / cloth-bound
400 pages / german/english
273 photographs
442 plans and drawings
Find out more: https://bestarchitects.de/de/book/best-architects-19.php