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The 2012 Prime Property Award was today presented to outstanding European real estate investment projects at the EXPO REAL commercial property show in Munich. Organised by Union Investment, this is the third time that the Award has recognised real estate projects in Europe that combine commercial success with ecological and sociocultural sustainability in exemplary fashion. A total of 160 real estate projects from 19 European countries were submitted for the 2012 Prime Property Award, which carries prize money of 30,000 euros. Fifteen projects from Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK were shortlisted by the competition jury.
“The Prime Property Award showcases the fascinating diversity of approaches to sustainable practice in Europe,” said Dr. Reinhard Kutscher, a member of the management team at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH, speaking at the awards ceremony. The prestigious prize was awarded to investors who have successfully applied sustainability to four different building types: a headquarters ensemble, a city-centre department store, an office building and a science centre. The winning projects were all completed between 2010 and 2011.
The prize for the best sustainable real estate investment in Europe went to ThyssenKrupp AG for the “ThyssenKrupp Quarter” in Essen. ThyssenKrupp replaced 15 separate locations with a new headquarters ensemble on a former industrial site. Created by architect consortium JSWD and Caix & Morel et Associés, the ensemble also forms the heart of a new high-density urban district characterised by extensive and accessible public spaces. Alongside the uniform architectural design language, the competition jury highlighted the energy efficiency of the approximately 19,360 square metre complex. The innovative and striking façade of the buildings consists of perforated stainless steel sheets developed by ThyssenKrupp especially for this application. The approximately 400,000 horizontal louvres track the position of the sun and make a key contribution to achieving the excellent energy values of 136.9 kWh/sqm/p.a. and a high level of user comfort.
Second prize was awarded for “Kaufhaus Tyrol” department store in Innsbruck, planned and created by Signa Prime Holding AG (architects: David Chipperfield Architects). Offering some 32,835 square metres of space, the retail property is notable for the commitment with which sustainable practices have been applied, while at the same time paying particular attention to the urban planning aspects of the project. Features that stand out from an ecological viewpoint are the extensive use of water from the river Inn and the innovative low energy concept.
Third prize went to Swedish investor Jernhusen AB for “Kungsbrohuset” in Stockholm (architects: Strategisk Arkitektur). This office building generates its energy in a particularly intriguing way: the body heat of the around 200,000 people who pass through Stockholm's adjacent main railway station every day is used to heat water, which in turn keeps the temperature of the 30,000 square metre building at a constant 22 to 25 degrees Celsius.
In addition to the three main prizes, the jury of international experts once again awarded a special prize, which went to Norwegian investor Inspiria Eiendom AS for the “Inspiria Science Centre” in Graalum, Norway (architects: AART architects A/S). The Science Centre uses exciting experiments and interactive exhibits to provide around 200,000 schoolchildren a year with information on topics such as renewable energy and waste avoidance – an inspiring investment in an ecologically sustainable future.
Fonte : CS di Union Investment
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