MVRDV, Heatherwick Studio, and three others shortlisted for mysterious competition in the Netherlands

Get ready for an exciting “New World Wonder in the Netherlands.” The competition to design a curatorial space to showcase sustainable architecture and stimulate interest in the climate crisis for a €250,000 ($285,000) purse is now on to Phase 2. Five teams — MVRDV, Heatherwick Studio, Mecanoo, Ecosistema Urbano, and Andrés Jaque/Office for Political Innovation — have made the cut for the shortlist. The jury included Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, Aric Chen of the Nieuwe Instituut, and actress Carice van Houten.

In terms of the project, organizers from Shift (which bills itself as a "social venture dedicated to creating a global landmark to inspire massive climate action") say: "Shift aims to build a new kind of landmark: 'a new world wonder' designed to inspire more action to stop the climate crisis, with the goal of inspiring over 1 million visitors annually. The Shift landmark combines behavioral psychology, sustainability, experience design, culture, and technology."