Architect Max Dudler receives the German Natural Stone Award 2011 for the new Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm Centre at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

The award is presented every two years by the Deutsche Naturwerkstein-Verband e.V. (DNV – German Natural Stone Association) in cooperation with the Bund Deutscher Architekten (BDA – German Architects Association) at the Stone+tec international exhibition in Nürnberg. The German Natural Stone Award focuses on natural stone as an exemplary building material in terms of its consideration of environmental, sustainability and energy efficiency aspects.

The architecture award worth altogether 30,000 euros has been organized on a European-wide basis for the first time in 2011 under the subtitle "European Architecture+Stone".The jury chaired by BDA President Michael Frielinghaus presents the award to building concepts in Europe that represent examples of high architectural quality, technically innovative applications and cost-effective construction using natural stone.The award is for the exemplary design and technically modern construction of projects in Europe, in which mainly natural stone from Europe is used and the work is performed by natural stone contractors.

From the almost 90 projects entered, including 20 from other European countries, the jury chose twelve impressive building concepts as examples of high architectural quality, optimized energy efficiency and cost-effective construction. The award pays tribute to outstanding planning achievements with aesthetically demanding, innovative and ecological solutions.

The facade supports of the building are made of yellowish bands of Jura limestone, whose colour matches the buildings in the central area of Berlin. The high-pressure water jet method used on the stone surfaces highlights the natural structure of the stone.

The jury awarded Special Merits to the architects Thomas Müller Ivan Reimann Architekten of Berlin for the Law & Business Faculty building, Frankfurt/Main, Pablo Horváth of Chur/Switzerland for the Hans-Jürg Buff block of flats in St. Moritz/Switzerland, Christoph Mäckler Architekten of Frankfurt/Main for the Opera Tower in Frankfurt/Main, Beniamino Servino for a two-family house in Pozzovetere, Caserta, Italy, and Hans Kollhoff Architekten of Berlin for the Dominium building in Cologne.

The jury also awarded five Highly Commendeds:Max Dudler, Berlin, for the IBM headquarters in Zurich; Kleihues+Kleihues, Berlin, for the Kaufhaus Königsallee department store in Düsseldorf and House of Finance in Campus Westend, Frankfurt/Main; Titus Bernhard Architekten, Augsburg, for House M., Grünwald near Munich; Kaspar Kraemer Architekten, Cologne, for Hohe Domkirche – new access building to the South Tower in Cologne.

In addition, a Special Award was presented for the design of public spaces, which went to Terra.nova, Landscape Architecture, Munich, for the design of the market square in Schmalkalden.

The award ceremony for the German Natural Stone Award 2011 takes place as part of the 10th Baumeister Architekturquartett in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg on Wednesday morning, 22June 2011. This ceremony is one of the highlights of Stone+tec Nürnberg, the 17th International Trade Fair Natural Stone and Stoneprocessing Technology, which takes place in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 22–25June 2011.