Mies van der Rohe Award 2026 honors the transformation of Charleroi’s Palais des Expositions, highlighting adaptive reuse, structural clarity, and cultural renewal.
The Mies van der Rohe Award 2026 underscores the value of reuse in contemporary practice. This year’s winner is Charleroi, which transforms a declining mid-century complex into a flexible public space while retaining its industrial identity.
Award Winner: Charleroi Palais des Expositions
The Mies van der Rohe Award, awarded biennially since 1988, the prize recognizes the renewal of the Charleroi Palais des Expositions in Belgium by AgwA and architecten jan de vylder inge vinck.
Built in the 1950s and long neglected, the exhibition hall is reactivated through selective demolition and targeted interventions. The foyer now exposes its original concrete structure, organizing three public levels around a central atrium with preserved chimneys—linking industrial memory with contemporary use.
Project Overview: History and Adaptive Reuse
The complex reflects the evolution of Charleroi. Designed by Joseph André, it was part of postwar reconstruction, with two 60-meter halls symbolizing the city’s coal-era prosperity. Opened in 1954, it hosted fairs, exhibitions, and sports facilities. Industrial decline from the 1960s reduced its relevance, and by 2015 it was used for fragmented, temporary activities.
The redesign follows a strategy of reduction, dismantling rather than replacing. An exposed concrete skeleton forms covered outdoor spaces around a central atrium, while monumental staircases connect three levels. Preserved chimneys anchor the project in its industrial past.
Program, Landscape, and Strategy
Within a 50,000 m² footprint and limited budget, the project emphasizes flexibility and reuse. Some halls serve temporary parking, while others host exhibitions, meetings, and an auditorium. Demineralized surfaces create a continuous green park, reconnecting the site to its surroundings. Selective demolition and material reuse position the project as an exercise in architectural archaeology while balancing economy, ecology, and memory.
Selected from 410 entries, the winners were announced at the Aalto Silo, designed by Alvar Aalto. The jury was chaired by Smiljan Radić, 2026 Pritzker Prize laureate.
The ceremony for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2026 will take place on 11–12 May at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, as part of World Architecture Capital 2026.
Image Credits: EUmies Awards.
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