Prado architects flop

Madrid - One of Europe's most prestigious architectural contests, to expand Madrid's Prado Museum, ended in chaos yesterday when an international jury of eight architects failed to pick a winner from 10 shortlisted projects, writes Elizabeth Nash.

The decision leaves the future of the museum, home to one of the world's finest art collections, up in the air. the Culture Minister, Esperanza Aguirre, said none of the projects solved the problems presented by the museum's historic building and sensitive site in the capital.

Years of work by 550 teams of architects from all over the world appear to have gone to waste. "It's a joke," said one.

Two projects were appointed runners-up. None of the 10 finalists - only two of whom were non-Spaniards - offered projects that were anything more than discreet and modest, so constrained were the parameters. Sir Norman Foster was among hundreds who pulled out at an early stage for that reason.