Five finalists for a European architectural prize have been announced after more than 335 works in 37 European countries were nominated. The finalists for the 2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award were announced on January 31 by the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe. The winner will be named in May and the award ceremony will be held on June 6 at Mies Van de Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain.

Covering a wide range of schemes, the five finalists are:

City Hall in Ghent, Belgium by Robbrecht en Daem architecten and Marie-José Van Hee architecten
Surperkilen in Copenhagen, Denmark by BIG Bjarke Ingles Group, Topotek 1, Superflex
Harpa-Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavik, Iceland by Batteriid architects, Henning Larsen Architects and Studio Olafur Eliasson
House for Elderly People in Alcácer do Sal, Portugal by Aires Mateus Arquitectos
Metropol Parasol in Sevilla, Spain by J.Mayer H.

Launched in 1987, the €60,000 prize is awarded to European architects for contributing to the 'development of new ideas and technologies in contemporary urban development'. Previous winners of the prestigious award, one of the most important architectural accolades in Europe, include the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris by Dominique Perrault and Stansted Airport in London by Foster + Partners.