Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano of Spanish practice Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos were announced as the recipients of the 2015 Alvar Aalto Medal. First awarded in 1967 and designed by Alvar Aalto himself, The Alvar Aalto Medal is given to individuals in recognition for their significant architectural achievements. Nieto and Sobejano were announced as the winners of the twelfth Medal today during an Architecture Day seminar at Helsinki City Hall.

Previous winners include Portuguese architect Paulo David (2012) and Danish practice Tegnestuen Vandkunsten (2009).

Collaborators since the early 1980s, it's no question that Nieto and Sobejano have built up a diverse portfolio, although their most recognizable works are museums and galleries. In addition to running their 40-employee firm Nieto Sobejano Architects in Madrid and Berlin, both architects also lecture at the European University of Madrid and the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK). Nieto and Sobejano's work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale and MoMA, and has received high recognition like the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2010.

Read jury comments about Nieto and Sobejano below:

↑  Top: Expansion of the San Telmo Museum by Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos. Bottom: Moritzburg Museum Extension

"The architectural philosophy of Nieto and Sobejano is strongly rooted in the culture and history of their homeland. Both have ranked among Spain’s leading architects since 1975.

According to the jury, 'The work of Nieto and Sobejano demonstrates how an architect’s cultural background can inspire architecture of outstanding quality and expressive power. Nieto and Sobejano’s work has a primal energy ranking it among the world’s most compelling statements and groundbreaking achievements in architecture.' The jury added that Nieto and Sobejano restore faith in the adaptability of contemporary western architecture, also answering the contemporary demand for sustainability and ecological sensitivity."

↑  AUDITORIUM AND CONVENTION CENTRE OF ARAGÓN EXPO 2008; Zaragoza, Spain; Architects: Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, SLP.

"The outstanding quality of Nieto and Sobejano’s work is essentially rooted in traditional, widely-recognized values in architecture. They are masters of light, creating clean, crisply resonating sequences of spaces. Their professionalism shows in their talent for stripping spaces of all superfluous, distracting elements. Their strong sense of structure and its innovative variation is beautifully expressed in works such as the Contemporary Art Center (Córdoba, Spain, 2013) and the Auditorium and Convention Centre of Aragon Expo (Zaragoza, Spain, 2008)."

↑ Madinat al-Zahra Museum in Cordoba, Spain.

"Nieto and Sobejano prioritize the environment when designing. In their latest competition entry for the Arvo Pärt Centre (Laulasmaa, Estonia, 2014), they have adapted their philosophy to Nordic latitudes and a northern boreal setting. History and climate likewise inspired the subterranean design of the Museum & Research Centre Madinat Al Zahra (Córdoba, Spain, 2009), which blends subtly with the flat plains surrounding it."

"The Jury noted that Nieto and Sobejano have enjoyed a rising career path that in many respects brings to mind Alvar Aalto. 'Their portfolio is varied and instantly recognizable, maintaining outstanding standards of creative excellence, informed by a philosophy of respect for human life and the environment. Nieto & Sobejano proudly carry on a tradition of humanism in architecture,' stated the chairman, Rainer Mahlamäki."

The 2015 jury members were: professor and architect Rainer Mahlamäki (Finland); architect Simo Freese (Finland); architect Wessel de Jonge (The Netherlands); and professor and architect Dorte Mandrup-Poulsen (Denmark).