10 finalists. European Prize for Urban Public Space 2024

The finalist projects for the European Prize for Urban Public Space 2024 have been made public. In this edition, 10 works have been finalists, 5 in the General category and 5 in the Maritime Fronts category.

The Prize organized by the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) closed registration for the 12th European Prize for Urban Public Space with a total of 297 projects entered, corresponding to 35 European countries.

The works come from Belgium, Spain, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. Most of them correspond to medium-scale cities, which shows that the sensitivity and effort to promote quality public spaces is spreading throughout Europe, with excellent examples outside the large capitals.

On 9 September, the 5 finalists in the Seafronts category, and on 28 October those in the General category will present their projects to the Jury. The winning works in the two categories will be announced on 29 October. All the events will take place at the CCCB and will be open to the public.

Conditioning of the Porto Do Son port edge by CREUSeCARRASCO + rvr arquitectos. Photograph by Luis Díaz Díaz.

The European Prize for Urban Public Space is an honorary biennial competition that, since 2000, has recognized the best interventions in the creation, transformation and recovery of public spaces in European cities. This edition exceptionally incorporates the Seafronts category in response to the particular vulnerability of coastal cities to climate change and in the framework of the Cultural Regatta, the programme of activities promoted by Barcelona City Council to accompany the celebration of the America’s Cup in the city.

Finalists in the General category

Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound. Warsaw, Poland.
topoScape, Archigrest

A new park offers a public space connected to the memory of the place. It does so innovatively, creating a new urban area with a character that acknowledges history, recycling the ruins of World War II destruction, and with the future in mind, providing a park that is accessible and enjoyable for citizens. It achieves this using strategies that are sensitive to the ecological needs of the area, projecting a unique integration of memory, leisure and ecology.

Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound. Warsaw, Poland. topoScape, Archigrest. Photograph by archigrest topoScape.

Boca de la Mina Promenade. Reus,Spain.
Batlleiroig

A new promenade exemplifies the seamless integration of landscape, history, ecological needs, and health and leisure activities using meticulous design. The use of handmade brick gives the site a coherent character, while the clear water management strategy enhances landscape-urban permeability. This approach supports open-air activities for the citizens of Reus and its surroundings, promoting both ecological and recreational benefits.

Boca de la Mina Promenade by Batlleiroig Arquitectura. Photograph by Del Río Bani.

Seven interventions in Monte. Castel San Pietro, Switzerland
studioser

This project results from a thorough study of several peripheral regions of Ticino, where the needs and challenges faced by the elderly population in their everyday lives were identified as issues to be addressed. Following these recommendations, Monte implemented a proposal that, through careful, sophisticated architectural craftsmanship, transformed the town into a more accessible, inclusive and supportive environment.

Seven interventions in Monte. Castel San Pietro, Switzerland. studioser. Photograph by studioser - Sven Högger.

CHAPEX. Charleroi, Belgium.
AJDVIV, AgwA

This large structure exemplifies how post-industrial sites can be reintegrated into the urban landscape and public life. It achieves this by leveraging the power of the unused structure and the project’s open-ended nature. This optimistic intervention embraces the existing site, identifies new opportunities with architectural intelligence and uses very limited resources to maximize urban qualities. It becomes an infrastructure ready for life to take over.

CHAPEX. Charleroi, Belgium. AJDVIV, AgwA. Photograph by Filip Dujardin.

Urban Forest. Tbilisi, Georgia.
Ruderal

This ambitious 700-hectare project aims to rectify a flawed plantation strategy from the 1920s that involved exclusively planting pines. This ageing pine plantation has suffered significant die-off due to pests and fungi, creating a fire hazard and posing a risk to public safety. The project serves not only as a remediation strategy, by increasing biodiversity through the introduction of autochthonous species, but also to develop new tools for addressing urban ecological interventions. It offers a new public space and an urban forest that helps contain unchecked urban growth, providing Tbilisi with a forward-looking, open-ended project.

Urban Forest. Tbilisi, Georgia. Ruderal. Photograph by Luka Tavzarashvili.

Finalists in the Seafronts category

Beach improvement and redevelopment of the harbour edge. Porto do Son, Spain.
CREUSeCARRASCO, RVR Arquitectos

This project renaturalizes the seafront, currently occupied by an urbanized strip, by creating a terrain with dunes that protects an existing park and rebuilds the relationship between port activity and the citizens. The intervention employs a gradient of strategies that respond to the varying conditions of the frontline and recognizes the identity of this village—salting, drying nets, shipbuilding—while demonstrating the benefits of collaboration over time between various political, civic and economic stakeholders.

Acondicionamiento del Borde portuario Porto Do Son por CREUSeCARRASCO + rvr arquitectos. Fotografía por Luis Díaz Díaz.

Redevelopment of Dún Laoghaire Baths. Dublin, Ireland.
DLR Architects’ Department, A2 Architects

The project revitalizes the long-abandoned seafront facilities, reconnecting the town with the sea. This was achieved through the careful, skilful use of materials that acknowledge the ocean’s energy, resulting in a robust, socially inclusive new route to the water for all citizens. The project included the removal of old, dilapidated buildings, and opening new public spaces that restore the citizens’ relationship with the sea.

Redevelopment of Dún Laoghaire Baths. Dublin, Ireland. DLR Architects’ Department, A2 Architects. Photograph by DLRCoCo.

Coastal walk. Palamós, Spain.
Estudi Martí Franch Arquitectura del Paisatge, Ardevol Consultors Associats

This 5 km coastal intervention exemplifies excellent design, preserving and enhancing the coastal landscape while connecting the town, nearby beaches and a natural park. Through minimal interventions that maximize impact, it demonstrates a deep understanding of the site. This approach celebrates the sublime landscape, reduces user impact and ensures its protection.

Coastal walk. Palamós, Spain by Estudi Martí Franch Arquitectura del Paisatge, Ardevol Consultors Associats. Photograph by Martí Franch.

Sea Park. Rímini, Italy.
Benedetta Tagliabue - EMBT Architects

The park transforms the previously unstructured, fragmented seafront into an urban park, seamlessly integrated with its surroundings. Along its 6 km length, it recognizes and embraces the city’s exuberance, providing a new identity and a green urban space for tourists and locals alike. This park plays a crucial role in reducing the impact of climate change while mitigating the intense tourism impact on the urban character and quality of the area.

Parco del Mare by Benedetta Tagliabue - EMBT. Photograph by Paolo Fassoli.

Beach boulevard. Delfzijl, Netherlands.
LAOS landscape urbanism

The project has reconnected the city centre of Delfzijl to the Wadden Sea. Due to rising sea levels and climate change, there was a need to increase defences, which created a visual barrier between the city and the sea. The new boulevard addresses this issue by linking the two and generating a new public space using infrastructural improvements and ecological restoration. The engineering work inspired the design, and the resulting intervention promotes and improves access to the sea, and facilitates a better understanding of the landscape.

Beach boulevard. Delfzijl, Netherlands by LAOS landscape urbanism. Photograph by Annie Beugel.

Boca de la Mina Promenade by Batlleiroig Arquitectura. Photograph by Jordi Surroca.

Parco del Mare by Benedetta Tagliabue - EMBT. Photograph by Paolo Fassoli.

Beach boulevard. Delfzijl, Netherlands by LAOS landscape urbanism. Photograph by Annie Beugel.

Coastal walk. Palamós, Spain by Estudi Martí Franch Arquitectura del Paisatge, Ardevol Consultors Associats. Photograph by Martí Franch.

Redevelopment of Dún Laoghaire Baths. Dublin, Ireland. DLR Architects’ Department, A2 Architects. Photograph by Ste Murray.

CHAPEX. Charleroi, Belgium. AJDVIV, AgwA. Photograph by Filip Dujardin.

Seven interventions in Monte. Castel San Pietro, Switzerland. studioser. Photograph by studioser - Sven Högger.

Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound. Warsaw, Poland. topoScape, Archigrest. Photograph by archigrest topoScape.

Urban Forest. Tbilisi, Georgia. Ruderal. Photograph by Luka Tavzarashvili.

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More information

Enric Batlle, Joan Roig. Batlleiroig

Batlleiroig is an architecture multidisciplinary office based in Barcelona, that combines the practice of Planning, Landscaping and Architecture. Founded in 1981 by Enric Batlle and Joan Roig, it is made up of over 140 technicians from various disciplines. Committed with the environment and involved in the search for solutions to solve our planet's climate emergency, Batlleiroig has been talking about Landscape and Nature since its foundation.

With a holistic view, which always seeks to link the definition of urban to the logic of landscape, a visionary commitment to innovation and a stable, diverse, and constantly formed team, Batlleiroig works in three different disciplines: City and Territory, Landscape and Public space, Architecture and Construction. Areas in which they intervene, trying to be highly specialized in each of them, but without forgetting the essential transversality that is required today to develop any project.

The versatility of their work and the implication that it demonstrates to ensure the well-being and health of people, in addition to recognition, has given them the credibility and rigor to be considered, on the international scene, one of the leading practices in solutions linked to the future development of cities.

Medal CSCAE from the Superior Council of the Associations of Architects of Spain in 2017 for their business performance and FAD 2012 Prize for Architecture and Criticism, they have also received numerous awards for their built work, among which are: The International Architecture Awards in 2020 and in 2014, Landscape of the Year WAF 2018, several Catalonia Construction Awards, IAKS-International Olympic Committee Award 2015, multiple WAF Awards and the European Prize for Urban Public Space 2004.

Their work is presented in the monographic publications: Merging City and Nature. Actar (2022); Batlle i Roig, Building with Nature. AV Monographs Num 20, Arquitectura Viva (2017); Batlle i Roig Architecture 2008-2018. TC Cuadernos (2017); Twenty Gardens 1981-2011. Paisajismo (2011); Batlle i Roig Architecture 1996-2009. TC Cuadernos (2009); Architecture Described. Actar (2000), among others.

Juan Creus, Covadonga Carrasco. CREUSeCARRASCO

CREUSeCARRASCO is an architecture studio based in A Coruña founded in 1994 by Juan Creus (Cée, 1966), doctor of architecture and tenured professor of projects at the ETSA of A Coruña, and Covadonga Carrasco (Ribadeo, 1965).

In 2021 they have been Mentioned by the CSCAE Spanish Architecture Award and the Galician Architecture Award for the Social Center in Cornido. Also Second Prize for the Juana de Vega Architecture Award for Casa Elías in Corcubión and, with a project about the Cans Festival, they participated again in the Venice Architecture Biennale with the Spanish Pavilion. They are creators of the recent MUV, Art Center of the María José Jove Foundation, the first 100% virtual museum in Spain. In 2016 they received the Galician Architecture Award and the BEAU Award (both for Casa Chao in Corcubión), also participating (with Remodeling of the Port of Malpica) in the Venice Architecture Biennale with the Spanish Pavilion, winner of the Golden Lion They have been nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award (2015 - Casa Chao) and won the Ar+d Emerging Architecture Award, granted by Architectural Review and the RIBA (2011 - Malpica). They were also Special Mention at the FAD Awards (2014 - Casa Chao) and Special Mention of the Jury at the BEAU (2011 - Malpica). They have won the ENOR Galicia Award (2007 – Lonja de Fisterra), COAG de Obra Nova (2011 – Casa Mercedes in A Coruña), Espazo Público (2011 - Malpica and 2000 – Plaza in Lugo) and Rehabilitation (2002 – Fundación Luís Seoane) , as well as the Juana de Vega Architecture Award (2018 – Casa C, 2015 – Casa Chao and 2013 – Casa en Redonda). In 2007 they were the participating Galician studio in the V Encontros Internacionais de Arquitectura. There are different monographic publications on his work, such as the books 1+1 (Uzina), Architecture 2000-2012 (TC), Remodeling of the Port of Malpica (OYS), Lonxa de Fisterra (Atlante) and Fundación Luis Seoane (Concello da Coruña).

Juan Creus is the creator and co-director of the magazine O monografías and author of books such as A Terra das Mil Belezas, Terra o Viaxe á Fin da Terra (also with Covadonga Carrasco), both collaborate in different magazines and forums related to the territory and the architecture. From his studio they publish the magazine RESINA. With his interventions they intend to reinvent the nearby landscape as a generic form.

Alberto Redondo Porto, José Valladares Durán, Marcial Rodríguez Rodríguez. rvr arquitectos

rvr arquitectos is an architecture studio founded by Alberto Redondo Porto, José Valladares Durán, Marcial Rodríguez Rodríguez with headquarters in Santiago de Compostela. The studio has extensive experience in outdoor environment work as well as in home design.

They have been awarded several times with prizes such as the Juana de Vega Prize for Interventions in Heritage 2017, the World Heritage Cities Prize or the V Enor Galicia Prize.

Benedetta Tagliabue

Benedetta Tagliabue was born in Milan (June 24, 1963) and graduated from the University of Venice in 1989. In 1991 she joined Enric Miralles’ studio eventually becoming a partner. Her work with Miralles, whom she married, includes several high-profile buildings and projects in Barcelona: Parque Diagonal Mar (1997-2002), Head Office Gas Natural (1999-2006) and the Market and Quarter Santa Caterina (1996-2005), as well as projects across Europe, including the School of Music in Hamburg (1997-2000) and the City Hall in Utrecht (1996-2000).

In 1998 the partnership won the competition to design the new Scottish Parliament building. Despite Miralles’ premature death in 2000, Tagliabue took leadership of the team as joint Project Director and the Parliament was completed in 2004, winning several awards.

She won the competition for the new design of Hafencity Harbor in Hamburg, Germany, a subway train station in Naples, and the Spanish Pavilion for Expo Shanghai 2010 among others.

Today under the direction of Benedetta Tagliabue the Miralles-Tagliabue-EMBT studio works with architectural projects, open spaces, urbanism, rehabilitation and exhibitions, trying to conserve the spirit of the Spanish and Italian artisan architectural studio tradition which espouses collaboration rather than specialization.

Their architectural philosophy is dedicating special attention to context.

Benedetta has written for several architectural magazines and has taught at, amongst other places, the University of Architecture ETSAB in Barcelona. She has lectured at many international architectural Forums as, for example, the RIBA, the Architectural Association and Bartlett School in, London, the Berlage Institut in Amsterdam, and in the USA, China and South America.