The prize for the Concrete Architects of the Year is awarded by Betong (Concrete) magazine, and this year the honor goes to Gert Wingårdh and Erik Wikerstål for their work with Nationalmuseum’s new service building.

The honor is awarded in connection with the Concrete Gala, which is organized by Betong magazine. The event is considered the urban development sector’s largest, with over 1230 participants. The theme this year was 50/50, with the focus on equity and the goal of having as many women attend the event as men. The concrete sector’s goal of reducing its environmental impact by 50 percent over the next five years was also highlighted, including in the dress code for the event: “a touch of green.”

The jury statement for the Concrete Architects of the Year: Gert Wingårdh, Wingårdh Architects and Erik Wikerstål, Tengbom Architects:

“This service building, constructed in conjunction with the renovation of Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, fills a function that could not be integrated into the existing museum building. What might in other cases be perceived as problematic—a building that in no way communicates with its surroundings—is here one of the project’s foremost qualities: architecture reminiscent of an elegant and enigmatic armoire rather than a technical structure. Three of the orthogonal volume’s four façades are made of prefabricated concrete panels cast against a patterned form liner to create a surface relief with the illusion of a basket weave. The deft placement of the joints between the panels and the refined design of the corner elements gives the building a textile quality that contrasts with the structure’s physical heft.”

More information on the winners at this year’s Concrete Gala is available here.

For more information or other questions, call Klara Grape at 010 - 788 11 19 or email klara.grape@wingardhs.se.