Architecture Competition Winners | Hall of Fame

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CLOSED COMPETITION WINNERS

This page is a celebration of the best architectural designs from our international architecture competitions.

These designs represent the best in creativity, innovation, and sustainability.

The project depicts an acupuncture-like architectural intervention in the degraded area of an open-pit lignite coal mine. It acts as a part of the
reclamation of the "biggest hole" in Europe, the reclamation set to commence after 2030, following the decommissioning of the last power plant
blocks. The overarching goal is to mitigate the effects of prolonged invasive anthropogenic pressure on the natural environment near the
Belchatow Power Plant. The pavilion aims to contribute to a redefinition of the anthropogenic landscape through its biophilic character. It is a
manifestation of changes occurring in architecture in response to the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and degradation of natural ecosystems. The
project includes a multifunctional cultural centre with exhibition, workshop, and performance spaces. Its objective is to preserve the site's
memory and create architecture that restores the connection of this place with nature.
Paradise Lost
The poetic John Milton’s Pandemonium, i.e., hell, home, and the core of evil, symbolizes the surreal image of a post-industrial area of an exploited
lignite open-pit mine. The Pandemonium motif also references Dante's Inferno and its hellish circles. These circles are geometrically related to
the stepped topography of the deep excavation. The dramatic excavation represents the triumph of man on Earth, industrial development, and
the achievements of civilization. However, this comes at the cost of significant disruption to the natural topography, resulting in changes to
surface and groundwater conditions and the destruction of ecosystems.
The extraction of lignite is conditioned by the preemptive dewatering of the deposit, which results in environmental changes both near the
excavation and at a considerable distance from it. The dewatering of the deposit, necessary to ensure safe mining conditions, has led to the
formation of a cone of depression. The natural consequences of this formation include a lowering of the groundwater level, the disappearance
of water in wells, a reduction in the flow of surface streams, a decrease in soil moisture content, and consequently, a decline in agricultural yields
and productivity. Additionally, there has been a reduction in water resources in forested areas, subsequently leading to damage to the forest
stands.
The path of deconstruction of the human order on Earth
The path is a symbolic representation of the changes that will occur in the transformed area over the coming years. The pavilion is intended to
be the culmination of a multi-year process of transforming the excavation site, with its architecture symbolizing the multidimensional nature of
the revitalization process. It embodies the idea of change and outlines the direction of future interventions in the extensive excavation area. The
various points of the museum exhibition serve as snapshots of the revitalization process, functioning as a tool to narrate the story of
anthropogenic pressure and highlight the contrast between our past, present, and future approaches to our relationship with nature.
The described "human order" is understood as an anthropocentric reality, in which the processes occurring on the planet are strictly controlled
by humans and framed within the bounds of human cognition. This is symbolized by the symmetrical geometric shapes in the plan of the pavilion,
which, from the perspective of the museum visitor, are seen as spatial figures undergoing gradual deconstruction, breaking down into their basic
components—from a cube, through its skeleton, separated walls, to randomly scattered fragments of the original form.
Parallel to the geometric deconstruction, there is a gradation in the intensity of vegetation present within the pavilion. This represents the
chronological transformations occurring in the excavation area as part of the reclamation process. At the beginning of the path, vegetation is
absent, and the visitor is surrounded by darkness, geometrized forms, and artefacts from the inanimate natural world—sand, soil, stones, and
lignite. Gradually, vegetation begins to appear in the surface, initially arranged in compositions created by human hands. Subsequently, parts of
the degraded land become covered with water, ultimately leading to a reconstruction of a natural ecosystem, where living nature prevails.
Paradise Regained
In the project, the regained paradise is represented by the reclaimed surroundings of the pavilion, culminating near the overwater terraces. The
terraces mark the end of the museum tour and allow visitors to find themselves in the midst of a poetic paradise, taking the form of a landscape
art piece shaped by a cluster of water lilies. The circular shape of the composition refers to the former excavation site transformed into a lake
with developing new ecosystems. The lost paradise is placed in the category of inaccessibility for humans, who have ceased to be earthly usurpers,
relinquishing to nature its ability for free and spontaneous self-creation.
The plant composition serves as a backdrop for museum visitors, laboratories, a café, and a roof designed as a walking garden. From the pavilion's
roof, one can observe its circular shape more closely, while from the lower terraces, it appears as an expansive layer of greenery extending over
the lake surface. The regained paradise embodies the realization of symbiosis between humans and nature, where both have a subjective
character. Reclamation involves the coexistence of multiple plant and animal species in the transformed area. These are to form ecosystems
studied by users of the laboratory within the pavilion. In this scenario, humans act as observers and helpers of nature, rather than its dominant
shaper.

Honourable Mention

Quarry Biophilic Pavilion Design

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