prize - winning architectural offices which participated in the revision phase of the competition. over the past 11 months, they have gone into substantial depth to elaborate the details of their design proposals. the high quality and professionalism of the work done in the revision phase was very much appreciated by the governing council. the governing council ’ s decision on the design of the ecb ’ s premises was reached after extensive discussion and careful evaluation of the prize - winning designs. as a public institution, we are committed to performing our tasks effectively and to using our financial resources prudently. therefore, it was essential to have a thorough and comprehensive assessment - even if that prolonged the process somewhat - so as to make the right decision on a matter of such symbolic and financial importance. let me now explain briefly the main reasons why the governing council chose coop himmelb ( l ) au ’ s design. i am delighted that the architect, prof. wolf prix, and his colleagues, mr dreibholz and mr halm, have joined us for this press briefing today. the design chosen the governing council judged the revised design concept of coop himmelb ( l ) au not only to be superior from an overall aesthetic and urban planning perspective, but also to be the one that best met the functional and technical requirements specified by the ecb. it was felt that this expressive, dynamic and appealing design would serve as a unique landmark, and result in the ecb ’ s new premises having a strong identity. in the governing council ’ s view, this design concept had features that reflected the ecb ’ s values - in particular, unity and transparency - and translated them into architectural language. furthermore, the way in which the three elements of the design - the high - rise building of a twisted shape, the “ groundscraper ” and the grossmarkthalle - formed a harmonious and well - proportioned ensemble was assessed very positively. we also considered that the integration of the grossmarkthalle into this ensemble was addressed in an excellent way, while at the same time respecting the fundamental appearance of this historic building. the design concept also met, in principle, the ecb ’ s functional and spatial requirements. the governing council appreciated especially the good connection of the different functional areas and the excellent workplace quality, guaranteeing natural light for all members of staff. using the atrium as a large communicative zone within the two tower buildings was also welcomed. the governing council noted that all requirements for the energy

european central bank : press conference on the chosen design for the new ecb premises introductory statements by mr jean - claude trichet, president of the european central bank, and mr lucas papademos, vice president of the european central bank, to the press conference on the chosen design of the international urban planning and architectural design competition for the new ecb premises, frankfurt, 20 january 2005. * * * ladies and gentlemen, we have invited you today for the presentation of the chosen design proposal in the international urban planning and architectural design competition for the new ecb premises. in our introductory remarks we would like to do the following : first, to briefly recall the main steps that have led to the outcome of the competition. second, to present the chosen design proposal in some detail. and third, to explain what happens next. afterwards, we will be happy to answer further questions, as will the chosen architect when it comes to technical questions on the design proposal. the decision of the governing council / the conclusion of the competition last thursday, on 13 january 2005, “ the governing council chose the design for the ecb ’ s new premises out of the 3 revised design proposals of the 3 prize winners of the international urban planning and architectural design competition. after extensive discussion and a careful evaluation, the governing council concluded that the revised design concept of coop himmelb ( l ) au best meets the functional and technical requirements specified by the ecb, and has features that reflect the ecb ’ s values and transforms them into architectural language. ” [ quotation of the press release ] on 13 february 2004 an international jury consisting of architects, eurosystem representatives and a representative of the city of frankfurt chose three winning designs in accordance with the following criteria, as laid down in the competition rules out of the 12 design concepts submitted in the second phase of the competition : 1. overall town - planning, architecture and landscape ; 2. compliance with the main features of the functional and spatial programme, including modularity ; 3. feasible approach to an energy / environmental concept and compliance with the main features of the ecb ’ s technical requirements ; 4. compliance with the relevant rules, in particular in the field of building law and environmental law. the first prize was awarded to coop himmelb ( l ) au, vienna ; the second prize to asp schweger assoziierte, berlin ; and the third prize to 54f architekten + ingenieure, darmstadt, in