also reminded us that stories are the core of our lives and that they are not something that is planned, but something that is created and won every day a€ “ just like the freedom. therefore, the national bank will continue to write and add to the monetary chapter of our story, working professionally and responsibly for the benefit of the citizens, guided by the european central banking principles. congratulations on the anniversary and the celebration of the stable denar which is something that belongs to all of us, the citizens, the present and future generations! 4 / 4 bis - central bankers'speeches

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