Nieto & Sobejano

 The jury based its decision to grant the Alvar Aalto Medal to the Madrid-based architects Nieto & Sobejano on their effort to understand the local context and culture. This award, given jointly by the Museum of Finnish Architecture, the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), the Architectural Society, the Alvar Aalto Foundation, and the city of Helsinki, is presented every three years in recognition of careers as a whole and excellence in architectural creativity. Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano, with more than thirty years of dedication to architecture, are the authors of noteworthy works like the refurbishment of Barceló Market in Madrid, Madinat al-Zahra Museum in Córdoba, San Telmo Museum in San Sebastián, San Gregorio School in Valladolid, the congress centers of Mérida and Zaragoza, and the Castillo de la Luz museum in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. They have also completed projects in the United Kingdom, China, Germany, and Austria, to name just a few examples. In 2007 the studio opened a second office in Berlin, further expanding its international reach.