The European Commission announced on Friday 20 laureates of the New European Bauhaus Prizes 2024 for the fourth year in a row, organised with funding from the EU’s Cohesion Policy.
As previously reported, the initiative was launched in January 2021 as a new cultural and environmental initiative called the New European Bauhaus. By the choice of name, the Commission was referring to the German art school after the first world war which was banned by Nazi-Germany in 1933, forcing its architects and designers to go into exile.
The prizes reward outstanding projects and initiatives that combine sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics, demonstrating how the European Green Deal transition can practically enrich the lives of people and communities.
The prizes were awarded in four categories and two strands: one for established projects (the “New European Bauhaus Champions”) and one for promising initiatives from younger applicants (the “New European Bauhaus Rising Stars”). The four categories were Reconnecting with nature; Regaining a sense of belonging; Prioritising the places and people that need it the most; and Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking.
Among the winners is the Belgian project The Station from the fourth category. The 2024 edition also included a special award for reconstruction projects from Ukraine, as well as a strong focus on EU regions facing socio-economic constraints or green transition challenges.
The winners received their awards during a ceremony at a festival which took place from the 9th to the 13th of April in Parc du Cinquantenaire and the Arts & History Museum. “With Cohesion Policy support, the NEB prizes celebrate young people and initiatives that put the New European Bauhaus principles into action,” commented Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, in the presence of Vsevolod Chentsov, Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU.
“For a fourth year, we are inspired by the creativity and enthusiasm with which local communities, projects and concepts embrace sustainability, inclusiveness, and beauty to improve lifestyles and living spaces. This year, we also give special recognition to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction effort to build back better.”
The 20 awarded projects were selected from 49 finalists that embody the principles of the New European Bauhaus. They will receive a monetary prize of up to €30,000 and a communications package to help them further develop their projects or replicate them around Europe. For information about the projects, including applications and images, click on the links below.
The Swedish project "Flytevi -Blue Urban Community Garden", credit: EU
New European Bauhaus Prizes 2024 laureates
The winners and runners-up of the ‘New European Bauhaus Champions' prize for accomplished projects are:
- Map4Water: One thousand fountains city (Bosnia and Herzegovina) won the public vote conducted across all the categories. The project is mapping and enhancing public water fountains in Sarajevo, with broad public involvement including the local authority, citizens and tourists.
- Făget Forest Park; Cluj's Green Lung (Romania), winner in the category “Reconnecting with nature”, for managing recreation in and conservation of a large forest-park.
- Flytevi – Blue Urban Community Garden (Sweden), runner-up in the category “Reconnecting with nature”, for empowering communities with sustainable food and water solutions.
- SET Community Gardens (The Netherlands), winner in the category “Regaining a sense of belonging”, for connecting generations from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds through an urban permaculture community garden and centre.
- Concrete to Culture (Bulgaria), runner-up in the category “Regaining a sense of belonging”, for transforming an office complex in the outskirts of Sofia into an active community space.
- Rooftop Garden (Spain), winner in the category “Prioritising the places and people that need it the most”, for promoting the social inclusion of people with disabilities through horticulture.
- Yes We Camp (France), runner-up in the category “Prioritising the places and people that need it the most”, for empowering communities through space activation initiatives.
- A Sustainable Campus Transformation (Luxembourg), winner in the category “Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking”, for renovating buildings using reclaimed materials to minimise environmental impact.
- Re-Sourcing Commons (Austria), runner-up in the category “Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking”, for promoting sustainability by using reclaimed materials and ensuring community collaboration in a public park.
The winners and runners-up of the ‘New European Bauhaus Rising Stars' prize for promising concepts are:
- Regenerative Agriculture Hub (Spain) won the public vote in the Rising Stars strand, for focusing on sustainable, eco-friendly farming practices that promote biodiversity.
- Cultivating Companionship (Germany), winner in the category “Reconnecting with nature”, for proposing a research residency in a cornfield to promote life-centred design thinking for architects and farmers.
- Hydroscape Lisbon (Portugal), runner-up in the category “Reconnecting with nature”, for exploring water's role in climate resilience and community space in the city.
- Cooperative Ownership of Communities (Hungary), winner in the category “Regaining a sense of belonging”, for promoting affordable housing and inclusivity through circular renovation and sustainable practices.
- Co-llection (Greece), runner-up in the category “Regaining a sense of belonging”, for reimagining rural narratives through art and community collaboration.
- Community reBuilding (Ukraine), winner in the category “Prioritising the places and people that need it the most”, for empowering Ukraine's communities by creating or rejuvenating Community Building Centres.
- Teufelsberg Transformation Lab (Germany), runner-up in the category “Prioritising the places and people that need it the most”, for pioneering collaborative policy innovation through Design Thinking.
- Urban_MYCOskin (Portugal), winner in the category “Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking”, for transforming waste into eco-friendly valuable material.
- The Station (Belgium), runner-up in the category “Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking”, for proposing an autonomous working station fuelled by renewable energy to transform seasonal harvests.
The Ukrainian project "Nad Dzeherelom" from the Lviv City Council, credit: EU
The winner and runner-up of the ‘Special Recognition to Ukraine's Reconstruction and Recovery Effort' are:
- Nad Dzherelom from the Lviv City Council, winner, recognised for restoring an abandoned natural area for social integration while preserving ecosystem and biodiversity.
- Leo States, runner-up, for providing temporary accommodation for internally displaced people in Ukraine.
The Brussels Times
