Prizes: All applications

Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå shows how cultural infrastructure can support sustainable and inclusive urban transformation. Located at the forefront of Europe’s green industrial transition, it brings together culture, learning and everyday life in a vibrant civic space and cultural landmark. It serves as an open, inclusive and accessible meeting place where people from different backgrounds can participate in cultural and civic life on equal terms.

PODYH is a fashion brand born at the intersection of architecture and design. Our work is rooted in the deep research of architectural heritage and its reimagining through the language of fashion. We transform structural principles, volumes, and artisanal techniques into contemporary, intellectual pieces, giving iconic forms a new life. From traditional wooden architecture to Art Nouveau, PODYH translates heritage into a new form, creating an intellectual wardrobe built on a cultural foundation.

COMPLUVIUM is an allegory to water. A ‘spatial artefact’ designed to make us aware of the presence of water in the forest. A shelter FOR water where climate, environment and ancient traditions converge, establishing a conscious relationship between territory, architecture and memory. Its geometry contrasts with the natural environment, but at the same time, the subtle use of locally made linen skins, fibreglass and French pine wood, allows it to blend into the landscape.

Hör Mig Varberg is a youth‑led cultural space where young people co‑create activities and express their voices through music, theatre and art. By giving culture room to grow, the project strengthened confidence, inclusion and belonging—its legacy lives on through Mötesplats Rosenfred and a wider youth community that continues to empower local young people.

From a decaying 1920s school to a modern facility, the UCU Serving Center shows how heritage can drive recovery even during wartime. By blending revitalization with sustainability, this project transformed an inefficient building into 8,000 m² of inclusive space, bridging the university and the community. More than just a campus, this “University That Serves” empowers a new generation of leaders and provides vital social services, proving heritage-led design is essential to Ukraine’s resilience.

The Body Rock transforms a marginalized neighbourhood in Naples into a vibrant cultural commons through hip-hop. By combining street arts, community participation and public space regeneration, the project activates identity, belonging and care. It demonstrates how culture can drive inclusive, sustainable and beautiful urban transformation.

Bridge Studio transforms an abandoned house in Kyoto into an active platform for collective urban repair. Through residencies and public programmes, it brings together local communities and international practitioners to implement adaptive reuse, circular material flows, and everyday ecological practices. As an operational and evolving model, it demonstrates how existing spaces can be reactivated through shared knowledge, care, and cross-cultural exchange.

Reshaping a Livable City improves everyday life through simple, impactful changes. New ramps make movement easier for everyone, from parents with strollers to people with disabilities. Fresh white pedestrian lines create safer crossings and clearer streets. A citywide cleaning initiative restores public spaces, making them more welcoming, healthy, and enjoyable for all.

The social housing in Lviv transforms architecture into a tool for healing. This fully barrier-free, energy-efficient building provides transit homes for wounded veterans with amputations, bridging the gap between hospital care and social reintegration. Co-designed with the residents, it replaces clinical aesthetics with a dignifying, inclusive community space. Supported by the EU, it offers a scalable NEB model for post-war recovery, restoring independence and human dignity.

Tracks of Belonging brings a forgotten riverside railway in Uzhhorod back to life through locally engineered rail vehicles, a unique youth club of trainee drivers aged 8–15, and creative public events. Revived by volunteers, veterans and the community, the project transforms industrial heritage into a living space for learning, culture and connection, attracting about 13,000 passengers and reconnecting the city with its riverside.