The winning projects are the new Sparkasse Ulm (Ulm Savings Bank) and the Münstertor Shopping Center, near the cathedral in Ulm's "new town center." Both were awarded prizes for architectural development for 2000-2006 in the "Zukunftsfähige Stadterneuerung" (Sustainable Urban Renewal) competition.

The contest was sponsored by the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects and the region's Ministry of Commerce.

In total, some 164 creations were submitted for the competition, of which 26 received honorable mention and 30 awarded prizes.

Award ceremony

At Stuttgart's House of Architects in early November, Chamber Vice President Dr. Eckart Rosenberger and Minister for Economic Affairs Ernst Pfister presented the prizes to Sparkasse Ulm Vice-Chairman, Dr. Guido Steeb, and to August Inhofer of the furniture and real estate company of the same name from Senden.

Stephan Braunfels of Cologne was the architect for both the Sparkasse and the Münstertor Shopping Center buildings. With the buildings, he filled a gaping hole in Ulm's old town dating back to World War II.

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