Europa Nostra 2015 Award for the conservation of Aalto Library in Vyborg

Europa Nostra, the pan-European network for Europe’s cultural and natural heritage, has announced today that the restoration of Alvar Aalto's masterpiece, the Viipuri Library (Vyborg, Russia; built between 1933–35), is awarded with the Europa Nostra 2015 Award for conservation.

The Jury were in no doubt they were dealing here with one of the major masterpieces of the modern movement in architecture. Its exceptionally well-researched and highly sensitive restoration, maintaining the library’s functions but adapting them to 21st century standards, seemed to them to represent a commendable example of transnational collaboration, primarily of course between the Finnish and Russian restoration committees but with the guidance too of other international organizations concerned with 20th century heritage.

For more information, please visit www.europanostra.org and read our interview with architect Eric Adlercreutz, the chairman of the Finnish Committee for the Restoration of Viipuri Library, on the 2014 World Monuments/Knoll Modernism Prize awarded in December, 2014.[gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="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,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOlwvXC9hcmNoaW5mb19vbGQudGVzdFwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAxNFwvMDlcL0Fpbm9BY2h0XHUwMGU5X01GQS5qcGciLCJ0aXRsZSI6IkFpbm9BY2h0XHUwMGU5X01GQSIsImNhcHRpb24iOiJWYWx0ZXIgSnVuZywgRW1pbCBGYWJyaXRpdXM6IFZpbGxhIEFpbm8gQWNrdFx1MDBlOSAxOTA1IFx1MDBhOSBBcmtraXRlaHR1dXJpbXVzZW8uIiwiYWx0IjoiUGlpcnVzdHVzIHRhbG9uIGp1bGtpc2l2dXN0YS4iLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IlZhbHRlciBKdW5nLCBFbWlsIEZhYnJpdGl1czogVmlsbGEgQWlubyBBY2t0XHUwMGU5IDE5MDUgXHUwMGE5IEFya2tpdGVodHV1cmltdXNlby4ifQ=="]