Awarded proposals
ArXellence 3 has concluded with the announcement of 3 Prizes and 4 Honorable Mentions by the international Jury.
Prizes
Explore the proposals that received the Prizes of the competition, after being distinguished by the Jury for their approach to the objectives of ArXellence 3.
1st Prize - 40.000€: Palingenesis: From Memory to Self-Sufficiency (Greece)
The restoration strategy is founded on respect, restraint, and reactivation. The existing structures are treated as a living archive rather than as ruins to be beautified. The aim is not to erase the marks of decay, but to allow them to narrate — to make the patina of time part of the new architectural expression.
2nd Prize - 20.000€: Gyaros Horizon (Germany)
The design process was based on the reinterpretation of the historical structure of Gyaros Prison and the recovery of its original spatial logic. Over time, non-structural roof elements had been damaged, providing an opportunity to remove them and reveal the authentic spatial and volumetric organization of the building.
3rd Prize - 10.000€: REUSE (Turkey)
The proposed project aims for team members – particularly architects and other professionals embracing a multidisciplinary approach – to develop working environments and methodologies that both preserve the social memory value of the island’s traumatic past and contribute to future-oriented research.
Honorable mentions
Discover the proposals that earned an Honorable Mention, acknowledged by the Jury for the way they addressed the competition’s requirements.
Honorable mention: Helping the SEA Heal the LAND (Bulgaria)
We propose a sustainable restart for Gyaros, centered on a masterplan that integrates ecological design with advanced technology. The core is a pioneering floating institute (SEA CYCLE), meticulously designed for minimal environmental impact.
Honorable mention: When historical memory meets the sustainable present and future (UK)
We propose a new type of eco-community based on the island that respects the existing prison ruins, its legacy, and the memory of past events. The underwater research hub will focus on defining and testing the current impact of global climate change on the island and the surrounding seas. The sea, through desalination, will provide a freshwater source for the Eco Community of researchers and staff.
Honorable mention: Infrastructural (Switzerland)
The project “infrastructural” is a reaction to the tragedy of the civil war of 1946-1949 and a contribution towards a healing confrontation with the unbearable.
Honorable mention: FREEING GYAROS (Turkey)
A lockup opens to the sky and nature and becomes the source of life and freedom by removing the roof and by creating openings on the walls. Central axis is converted into a continuous linkage between lower and upper plazas, becoming a “walk of freedom”, by adding the “layer of vitality”.
