The SHARE Architecture Awards has announced the winners of its 2025 edition during an exceptional gala event hosted at the Zumtobel Light Forum in Dornbirn, Austria.
Surrounded by an iconic setting dedicated to innovation, light, and contemporary design, the ceremony brought together architects, jury members, and industry leaders from over 35 countries. The Light Forum’s immersive design & architecture offered the perfect backdrop for a celebration of vision, experimentation, and excellence — transforming the gala into a vibrant showcase of the region’s architectural spirit.
This year’s edition highlighted some of the most remarkable contributions to the built environment across Central and South-Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
The competition journey began with 250 submissions, out of which 114 projects were selected as finalists and presented live in front of the international jury chaired by Martha Thorne and Peter Murray. They were joined by a distinguished panel of global experts: Ana Flor (USA), Habibeh Madjdabadi (Iran), Yevgeniya Pozigun (UK), François Valentiny (Luxembourg), Rainer Schmidt (Germany), Fernando Menis (Spain), and Oskar Norellus (Sweden). Each juror contributed perspectives shaped by leading international practices and diverse architectural cultures.
The jury awarded this year’s Overall Winner to the National Star Observatory of Cyprus, designed by Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects and submitted in the Sport. Civic and Community category of the Completed Buildings section. The project was praised for its visionary synthesis of science, landscape, and community purpose. Through a sculptural yet deeply contextual design, the observatory demonstrates how architecture can foster public engagement with research, create cultural identity, and elevate remote territories into places of shared curiosity and learning.
”It was very difficult, but I also think in all the buildings there’s a message behind them, and we shouldn’t forget when a building is created to look at the stars and to spread its arms to many, many places, it’s a very positive thing.” – Martha Thorne, Co-Chair of the Jury
Awarded as the Section Winner in the Sport & Health category of the Future Projects section, KYATHOS I Mass Timber Arena, designed by KAAF Architects, redefines the potential of mass-timber typologies for large-scale civic programs. The project impressed the jury through its clarity of structure, ecological ambition, and its promise to introduce a new architectural vocabulary for sustainable sports facilities in the region.
”It’s a project that had many challenges, but in this case the architects were able to not only limit themselves to looking at one aspect, but a very integrated way of using mass timber for the structure, also creating a multifunctional building, one that sat well in the context and would be able to be used and adapted over time.” – Martha Thorne, Co-Chair of the Jury
Recognised as the Section Winner in the Workplace. Retail. Community category of the Interiors section, SB Interior, designed by BMA – Besian Mehmeti Architects, stands out for its expressive approach to spatial rhythm, material tactility, and workplace identity.
”This was a scheme we felt was modest in its initial presentation, but actually the more you look into it, the richer the detailing, the richer the retention of elements of the building, and a very rich and satisfying project, which I think grows on you the more you study the photographs, the drawings, which is the way good architecture ought to be. So congratulations.” – Peter Murray, Co-Chair of the Jury
The SHARE Architecture Awards jury appointed winners across a wide range of categories, recognising excellence in fields such as residential, cultural, landscape, commercial, hospitality, educational, and healthcare architecture. The awarded projects, listed below, reflect the diversity and innovation shaping contemporary architectural practice across the region.
FUTURE PROJECTS
– Section Winner – Sport & Health (Future Projects)
KYATHOS I Mass Timber Arena, by KAAF Architects
– Category Winner – Culture. Education. Display (Future Projects)
Integrated Learning and Social Hub – Valahia University Library, by ISO PROIECT
– Category Winner – Masterplanning. City Planning. Transport. Urban Landscape (Future Projects)
Telavi Airport, by Khmaladze Architects
– Category Winner – Office. Civic and Community. Commercial and Production (Future Projects)
Infrastructural and Artistic Renovation of the Kurrizi Tunnel, by Dieform Space
– Category Winner – Residential. Hotels (Future Projects)
Bojo Resort, by HQ Architects
– Honourary Mention – Masterplanning. City Planning. Transport. Urban Landscape (Future Projects)
Move quickly, live slowly – a vision for Astana, by LDA Design Ltd
– Honourary Mention – Masterplanning. City Planning. Transport. Urban Landscape (Future Projects)
Three Urban Squares + Four Green Routes, by DATSARCH
– Honourary Mention – Residential. Hotels (Future Projects)
Ayvalık Stone House, by Yazgan Design Architecture
– Honourary Mention – Sport & Health (Future Projects)
Multipurpose Sports Tent, by HAFNER ARHITEKTI d.o.o.
– Honourary Mention – Office. Civic and Community. Commercial and Production (Future Projects)
Aratta Garden, by Palyan Architects
INTERIORS
– Section Winner – Workplace. Retail. Community (Interiors)
SB Interior, by BMA – Besian Mehmeti Architects
– Category Winner – Bars & Restaurants. Hotels (Interiors)
Restaurant and Bistro Magnet, by AKSL arhitekti
– Category Winner – Cultural. Education. Heritage. Temporary. Experimental (Interiors)
GEAP Art Gallery – Disruption of the White Cube, by TESSERACT Architecture
– Category Winner – Residential (Interiors)
Renovation of a Typical Block Apartment from the Seventies, by Maja Pisanec – Arhitektka
– Category Winner – Workplace. Retail. Community (Interiors)
Bosch Living Lab, by IPA – Architecture and More
– Honourary Mention – Bars & Restaurants. Hotels (Interiors)
Luno Café, by Kvadrat Studio
– Honourary Mention – Residential (Interiors)
Olivia, by Archi+
– Honourary Mention – Workplace. Retail. Community (Interiors)
Instabuilt, Innovation Center, by MODIUM L.L.C
COMPLETED BUILDING
– Best Use of Stone – Single House (Individual Use) (Completed Buildings)
Ovacik House, by BINAA
– Category Winner – Culture. Heritage (Completed Buildings)
“Aphrodite” Thematic Route, by Agisilaou & Kalavas Architectural Workshop
– Category Winner – Education (Completed Buildings)
Labirint, by QUADRATUM
– Category Winner – Office. Mixed-Use (Completed Buildings)
Cemacon Administrative Office, by FORMATEKTURA SRL
– Category Winner – Shopping. Production and Logistic (Completed Buildings)
Kasollet e Zanave, by Maden Group
– Category Winner – Single House (Individual Use) (Completed Buildings)
Winnow, by Archi+
– Category Winner – Adaptive. Retrofit (Completed Buildings)
Revitalization of the Lubianka Reservoir in Starachowice, by PA.FORMAT Architects
– Category Winner – Healthcare. Wellbeing (Completed Buildings)
Vet Hospital Tirana, by Davide Macullo Architects
– Category Winner – Housing (Not for Single Use) (Completed Buildings)
Colina Lac, by QUADRATUM
– Honourary Mention – Adaptive. Retrofit (Completed Buildings)
inside-in, by minusplus
– Honourary Mention – Healthcare. Wellbeing (Completed Buildings)
Parent’s House, by no LAB
– Honourary Mention – Housing (Not for Single Use) (Completed Buildings)
Rolling Greens Villas, by Buerger Katsota Architects
– Honourary Mention – Office. Mixed-Use (Completed Buildings)
The Business Park, by Perfect Design ARH
– Honourary Mention – Office. Mixed-Use (Completed Buildings)
River Residence 1 Tirana, by Davide Macullo Architects
– Honourary Mention – Office. Mixed-Use (Completed Buildings)
The Headquarter of Credins Bank, by avatelier
– Honourary Mention – Office. Mixed-Use (Completed Buildings)
Yandex Kazakhstan, by Basire Design Group
– Honourary Mention – Shopping. Production and Logistic (Completed Buildings)
Auto Bibaj, by Minimal 20 Studio
– Honourary Mention – Single House (Individual Use) (Completed Buildings)
226 Engomi Residence, by Michael Cosmas Architecture LLC
– Honourary Mention – Single House (Individual Use) (Completed Buildings)
Hutspace, by Visar Geci – 1013
– Honourary Mention – Single House (Individual Use) (Completed Buildings)
The Origami House, by MSSM Associates
– Honourary Mention – Sport. Civic and Community (Completed Buildings)
Cemacon Bus Station, by FORMATEKTURA SRL
Founded to highlight architectural excellence emerging from Central and South-Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, the SHARE Architecture Awards provides a platform for architects to engage directly with leading international practitioners, receive meaningful feedback, and increase their visibility within the global architectural community.
With a longstanding presence in the region, SHARE Architects continues to bring together architects, designers, and contractors, fostering collaboration, innovation, and the exchange of knowledge across borders.
As SHARE Architects continues to expand its network and strengthen its presence across Europe and beyond, the SHARE Architecture Awards will remain a platform where architects exchange ideas, build connections, and shape the future of the built environment.
The SHARE Architecture Festival is made possible through the support of its partners. The event is organised by SHARE Architects, under the honorary patronage of the SHARE Architects Society. The 2025 edition is powered by Zumtobel, whose longstanding commitment to innovation in lighting solutions reinforces the festival’s mission.
As Gold Sponsors, ALUPROF, Everest, Turkish Stones and ALUKÖNIGSTAHL contribute to strengthening the platform’s visibility and impact across the architectural community. Additional support is provided by Fibrobeton as Silver Sponsor, while the festival’s visual identity and creative components are developed in collaboration with LOOM and Echo as Creative Partners. Media visibility is ensured through the involvement of World-Architects as Media Partner, further expanding the festival’s international reach