Dorte Kristensen

Architect Dorte Kristensen has been the director at atelier PRO since 2003. Inspired by Scandinavian masters like Gunnar Asplund, Alvar Aalto, and J Utzon, she skillfully combines Dutch pragmatism with a Danish sense of poetry; not just the poetry of buildings but also the poetry of interiors and urban spaces, and how these merge. In Dorte's view, transitional spaces are particularly important when it comes to shaping social dynamics. It is no surprise that she primarily works on educational buildings, town halls, cultural centers, and healthcare facilities at atelier PRO‚ the type of buildings where the transition from the public space of the city to the building and its interior plays a crucial role. Dorte believes architecture can create connections on multiple levels: the connection between the past‚ the spatial, cultural, and historical context  the present, and a sustainable, circular future; the connection between the scale of the city and its public spaces, buildings, and their interiors; the connection between the building users‚ the people ‚ and the buildings themselves Dorte Kristensen will be joined as a jury member by Ellen van der Wal, founder of Vakwerk architecten‚ who acted as partner architect for the University Center for Psychiatry in Groningen. Ellen van der Wal started her career at architectural firm Mecanoo, where she rose through the ranks from intern to partner. After 19 years, the last 9 of which as a partner, she was ready for a new challenge. In the summer of 2017, together with Paul Ketelaars and Francesco Veenstra, she founded Vakwerk, to collaborate on complex projects together. Ellen brought the knowledge she gained in her various healthcare projects, educational buildings, hotels, and utility projects to Vakwerk. Her main source of inspiration is always the end user, be it the patient, the student, or the local resident.