​Elevations of history and community safety win top honors at the 12th European Prize for Urban Public Space

The 12th European Prize for Urban Public Space has been awarded to two projects in Warsaw, Poland and Porto do Son, Spain that enhanced the civic experience of their respective locales through public space designs rooted in history, urban revitalization, and the spirit of community and place.

The winner of the General category was 'Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound’ by the studios topoScape and Archigrest. The project adapted an existing mound of repurposed decades-old building rubble and detritus from World War II that had been turned into a Memorial to the country's resistance movement in the 90s, strengthening conditions to lead to a better understanding of the site and its importance to history.

For its design, topoScape and Archigrest worked with a contractor specializing in concrete production technology to make new concrete that was derived from the rubble.

It was then used for a comprehensive programmatic overhaul that enhanced functionality and user accessibility, adding new seating areas, a children's playground, footbridges, and artificial gullies. A new landscape program was also added with the help of a vegetation scientist. The result was an entirely new surface composition for the site that resembles an anthropogenic mound that serves as a physical record of the memory of its original workers.

The jury stated: "The project stands out for recognizing the complexity of public space, which comprises multiple layers of meaning and interaction. By reconfiguring the traditional aesthetics of an urban park, it reimagines the park as a deep ecological entity, accepting invasive species and embracing an element of 'unfinished' imagination that encourages user engagement and unveils a new aesthetic for urban parks."

Winning in the Seafronts category required CREUSeCARRASCO and RVR Arquitectos to undertake a twofold renaturalization of the city's promenade space using manmade dunes and reestablishment of the port's relationship to the local community into a catalyst for greater social exchange.

A "daring, even radical decision" to preserve an extant sea wall barrier preceded the establishment of new facilities within its ramparts. The first, 'renaturation' zone created a transitional barrier that serves as both a protective lining and linkage. This was made by staggering two lines of dunes that in turn stand as pedestrian access points, augmented by a set of new wooden walkways.

The product of the second segment was a more cohesive space that restores the connection between the historic center and port as it separated the main road from the seafront. Near the historic market, a wooden structure was enacted that recalls the historic influence of the town’s fishing industry and serves several ancillary purposes. Two new streetscapes were also installed, and a path leading to a  new car park and the Port Services Centre was designed to create a unique vantage of Monte Louro.

"The jury members especially applaud the fact that the project demonstrates deep understanding of the issues it addresses, including the need to protect and integrate architecture and seafront defences; the urgency of ensuring access to the water for all members of the community by connecting this experience as closely as possible with the urban fabric; the need to provide infrastructure that enhances pedestrian use of the waterfront; and the importance of safeguarding and restoring natural systems in a situation of urbanisation and climate change. This approach is handled with honesty, care, and thoroughgoing architectural expertise, resulting in a design that is both responsive to urban needs and respectful of natural systems," their statement reads.

The winners were chosen from the previous shortlist of ten taken from a total of 297 projects that were entered into the biannual competition Another set of four finalists were selected in each category. All will now be included in a Digital Archive and the traveling exhibition of the current edition. The results from the 11th edition of the  European Prize for Urban Public Space can also be found here.