Mexico City-based practice TO claims top prize at the 2023 AR Emerging Awards

The Architectural Review has announced the AR Emerging Award winners for 2023. This annual awards program was founded in 1999 and recognizes the work of early-career designers through their completed work, works in progress, and ideas as the “architectural stars of tomorrow.”

Finalists were asked to submit three project portfolios comprising one completed building, one work in progress, and one idea. The practices featured in this year’s group of winners were chosen from a 15-finalist shortlist from twelve different countries. Trophies for the award’s presentation ceremony were manufactured by Alusid.

The Mexico City-based practice TO came out on top as the winner with a cash prize of £5,000. Founded and run by José Amozurrutia and Carlos Facio in 2015, their built work in the country and inclusion in the Colectivo C733 were particularly praised as being influential. 

The jury also noted the practice’s ability to use a “modesty of resources in a way that other contemporary architects can learn from,” adding, “you can feel the silence in TO’s work; you can feel the idea. The line of thinking is always visible.”

Thailand-based practice Bangkok Tokyo Architecture was among the shortlist finalists who were applauded for their work. The practice was praised for having ‘so much humanity” in terms of its execution and site responsiveness. The AR jury also commended the practice for evoking a “true vernacular language of now [...] in tune with the contemporary condition.” Projects submitted included the newly completed House K design in Bangkok.

Finally, the São Paulo/Mexico City-based RADDAR was selected as this year’s editor’s choice Peter Davey Prize winner. AR editor Manon Mollard described ‘RADDAR’s work "brings to the fore the need to work with existing buildings as we face the climate emergency – particularly in their context of São Paulo, where more than half a million buildings stand empty. Their recent transformation of an industrial building into a gallery, office and home, as well as their ongoing work to bring Pacaembu Stadium back to life, demonstrate that the results of reuse can be spatially rich as well as ecologically sustainable.”

The AR Emerging Awards were judged by past finalists Mauricio Rocha, Andy Groarke,  AFARAI founder Afaina de Jong, and others. Each winner will be featured in the upcoming AR Emerging issue. Learn more about this year's award winners here.