In the 13th edition of the International Award Architecture in Stone granted by Marmomacc (Veronafiere), the five following works have merited prizes: Druk White Lotus School by Arup Associates in Ladakh (India); the Stone House by Carl Fredrik Svenstedt in Luberon, Provence (France); Heidelberg Castle Visitors’ Center in Germany, by Max Dudler; and also two Spanish works, the Redevelopment of urban spaces in Banyoles, Gerona, by Mias Arquitectes (see Arquitectura Viva 136), and the Advisory Board Building of Castile and León in the city of Zamora, by Alberto Campo Baeza (see AV Monographs 159-160).

Among the aforementioned honored proposals, Heidelberg Castle Visitors’ Center is particularly noteworthy for its at once rigorous and poetic use of stone. Built on a medieval fortress, Heidelberg Castle is one of the most important tourist destinations in Germany, with more than one million visitors per year. The castle was partially destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, was later damaged in other conflicts and fires, and its ruins would become a symbol of German Romanticism. The Swiss architect Max Dudler has worked within this context to design the center for those visiting the castle. The new structure goes up on a small and elongated shed and wishes to blend smoothly with the environment and historic fortresses thanks to the interpretation of the original walls, using local limestone, with its characteristic rose hue.

The award ceremony will be held in Veronafiere in September 2013.