In a large evening benefit dinner at IIT College of Architecture's S. R. Crown Hall in Chicago last night, Álvaro Siza and Herzog & de Meuron were announced as the winners of the inaugural Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP).

Established by IIT architecture dean Wiel Arets and launched earlier this year with Phyllis Lambert and Dirk Denison, the MCHAP honors what is considered the best built works in the Americas. — bustler.net

The who-is-who of international contemporary architecture makes up the gross of the inaugural Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize shortlist. Announced this week by Illinois Institute of Technology Architecture Dean Wiel Arets and MCHAP Director Dirk Denison, the 36 shortlisted projects — selected from the 225 MCHAP nominees throughout the American continent — are being recognized as "Outstanding Projects." — bustler.net

Wiel Arets Architects recently completed the E' Tower in Eindhoven in the Netherlands. The design of the 22-floor, 110-apartment building is derived from the Brick Expressionist style that was common during the city's industrial period and throughout Northern Europe in the early 20th century. — bustler.net

Wiel Arets Architects announced today the completion of the Anna van Buerenplein (AvB) Tower located in The Hague in The Netherlands. Standing at 72 m (approx. 236 ft), the steel AvB Tower was built as a "hyper-hybrid" academic building that includes housing, dining, and retail for students and faculty. — bustler.net

Wiels Arets Architects recently won the competition to design the Europaallee 'Site D' building in Zurich. The building features repurposeful office and retail space with future plans for a conversion into residential units. 'Site D' is described as a key enhancement for the growing district of Europaallee. Construction will begin in 2017. — bustler.net

Alison Cuddy of WBEZ 91.5 reported that the Save Prentice Coalition has made the case that re-using the former Prentice Hospital could mean more money, jobs...curtkram was puzzled "hmm. i used to live on the north side of chicago and i don't recall ever seeing this building. anyway, aside from preserving this building because of it's characteristic of a historic style, or because some particularly important person thinks it looks cool, there is a good argument for sustainability".

As for Mies' continuing relevance, the main lesson he draws is: “We should not copy. We should try to understand the time we're living in and how we can make use of the latest technological possibilities so that architecture continues to move forward. We should build for generations to come. Architecture is not something fashionable. It has duration.”

What this means in terms of the school's future direction is a question still to be answered. — chicagobusiness.com