We have learned the short list of projects nominated for the Young Talent Award, organized by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and the European Commission for young talents, graduates of architectural studies. This year, four young architecture students from Polish universities will compete for the Young Talent title!
© organizers archive
On April 20, the so-called short list of projects nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award in the Young Talent category, which evaluates the thesis work of young architecture graduates, was announced. This year, projects submitted to the competition, which aims to support emerging architects, urban planners and landscape architects, are being evaluated by a jury consisting of curator N'Goné Fall, architect Manuel Henriques, professor Jennifer Mack, architect Simone Sfriso and architect Snežana Vesnić.
Theshortlist included a total of 38 diploma projects defended between January 1, 2021 and December 31,2022, including as many as four from Poland:
Tomasz Bekas
The graduate of the University of Arts in Poznań made it to the list thanks to his master's thesis defended in 2021 ,"Memory Space - Memory of Space," prepared under the supervision of Dr. Michal Ankiersztajn.The author, creating the Memorial Space at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Gross-Rosen in Rogoznica, focused on the various emotions experienced by visitors and their stimulation through the use of architectural tools.
"Memory space - memory of space"
© Tomasz Bekas
Marek Martynowicz
Also on the short list was a project to transform the quarters of Bystrzyca Klodzka's housing stock,"Renaissance of small-townness; perspectives of habitation and work of the creative society," developed under the supervision of Prof. Jan Słyk at the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology. According to the project's author, the proposed intervention makes it possible to change existing typologies of habitation into hybrid spaces adapted to contemporary challenges.
"The renaissance of small-townism; perspectives on inhabitation and the work of the makers' society."
© Marek Martynowicz
Ewa Pokrzywa
Defended at the Faculty of Architecture of the Cracow University of Technology diploma"Return of the Sacred. Center of Jewish Culture in Sokolow Malopolski" prepared under the supervision of Prof. PK Jolanta Sroczynska, takes up the subject of the destruction of the former Jewish cemetery, on the territory of which for years were located warehouses for the storage of fuel materials. The author restores to this space the memory of the people buried there, and to the city - the memory of history.
"Return of the Sacred. Center for Jewish Culture in Sokolow Malopolski"
© Ewa Pokrzywa
Agnieszka Kępa
A graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology, in her diploma thesis prepared under the supervision of Dr. Marcin Charciarek ,"Archive of the utopia of rationalism in architecture. Adaptation of the Ruins of the Stalownik Sanatorium in Mikuszowice Krakowskie" attempted to reuse and give a new function to the monumental object from the 1960s. Through the proposed interventions, the author turns the former treatment center into an exhibition space and archive.
"An archive of the utopia of rationalism in architecture. Adaptation of the ruins of the Stalownik sanatorium in Mikuszowice Krakowskie".
© Agnieszka Kępa
All shortlisted diploma projects are available on the competition organizers' website: LINK. An exhibition of the works will be held at the Venice Architecture Biennale on May 20, and the winner or winner of this year's competition will be announced in June.
