Museo de Colecciones Reales / Palacio de Congresos de Palma

Since 1993, the CSCAE (Spanish Association of Architecture Institutes) bestows the National Award for Architecture to singular works that entail an innovative contribution and are paradigmatic in their constructive quality. Such is the case of the buildings distinguished in the 2017 edition: the Royal Collections Museum in Madrid by Mansilla Tuñón; and the Congress Center and Hotel in Palma de Mallorca by Francisco Mangado. Beyond the size and volume of both buildings, as well as their use of latticeworks, the jury presided by Jordi Ludevid saw in them intelligent ways to establish a dialogue with their urban contexts. In the case of the Museum, turning topographic difficulties into virtues to transform the powerful and rhythmic elevation into an element capable of defining Madrid’s monumental cornice. And in the case of the Congress Center, efficiently addressing the building’s insertion in the coastline. The jury has also given special mention to two projects: the Sala Beckett theater in Barcelona, by Flores