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Jeanette Kunsmann, Editor-in-Chief of DETAIL, on the ICONIC AWARDS

International awards and regional architecture prizes are always a good way to capture the status quo of the construction world. Taken together, the projects evaluated not only provide a snapshot of current architecture, but also of our society and its development. Which typologies are being implemented? What design language, materials and attitudes emerge as recurring features? Are there unusual and creative solutions that successfully address the pressing challenges of our time?

The 2025 entries are strikingly unconventional and diverse. The era of classic cultural buildings, museums and concert halls seems to be over. A glance at the list of submissions and prizes for the ICONIC AWARDS 2025 underlines this: instead of striking solitary structures designed by star architects, it is above all clever conversion concepts and experimental renovations that stand out – with realistic usage concepts that are individually tailored to the fields of work, health, education or energy. This is new.

The waste recycling plant with photovoltaic power station in Emmenspitz-Zuchwill is a striking example of the ambitious design of a functional building. The Zurich-based firm Penzel Valier has reimagined the existing building as an impressive concrete sculpture and equipped it with a 5,000-square-metre photovoltaic façade. Here, architecture demonstrates more than just the courage to embrace large forms. The power plant has won one of the ‘Best of Best’ awards.

Building after the pandemic

Submissions to the ICONIC AWARDS 2025 must have been designed, planned or renovated within the last five years. It is clear that the global pandemic has also left its mark on architecture and urban planning within this five-year period. Many of the projects submitted for the Iconic Awards 2025 feature high-quality interior and exterior spaces from a variety of contexts and continents. These projects are united by a desire to combine architecture and nature to create spaces for communal use that fulfil individual needs.

The Korneuburg Social Education Centre in Austria, designed by Atelier Thomas Pucher, demonstrates how nature can be successfully integrated with built structures. The timber construction, completed in 2024, is based on a competition design from 2020 that reinterprets the traditional square courtyard as a contemporary round form. The centre forms a green patio, which is framed and protected by the oval building like a nest. This creates spaces that focus on people while promoting both community and privacy.

Commitment to materials

Circular construction methods with reusable elements and natural materials are becoming the new standard and a matter of course for many architectural firms. Construction projects involving existing buildings are a growing field of activity. However, the confident use of natural building materials is also striking. The replacement buildings in Buchs for the Haus der Freunde multi-family residential building are made of wood and clay, and do not use any artificial or composite materials. The pioneering project by Carlos Martinez Architects also impresses with prefabricated rammed-earth walls, which ensure a pleasant indoor climate.

The conversion of an agricultural cooperative into a multifunctional cultural centre by the studio Camps Felips Arquitecturia in Flix, Spain, stands out among the 2025 submissions with its particularly consistent use of materials. The unplastered brick surfaces create an all-encompassing terracotta surface with warm earth tones, both inside and out, supporting the regional economy and preserving building traditions through the use of local materials. Thanks to their excellent insulating properties, the handmade ceramic bricks also reduce the building's energy consumption. For the jury, this renovation is a clear candidate for a ‘Best of Best’ award.

Studio X+Living takes a similar approach in its project for the Tianjin Zhongshuge bookshop in a historic district of Tianjin, China, which brings architecture and interior design together through a deliberate use of materials. A total of 400,000 dark-red bricks form the extravagant façades and spectacularly staged steps, bookshelves and seating areas inside. The repetition of the bricks is effective.

From Europe to the world

Building culture in Asia has its own language and philosophy. The Pritzker Prize is not the only award to look towards Asia this year. After the most prestigious award in international architecture went to Japan for the eighth time in 2024 – to architect Riken Yamamoto – Chinese architect Liu Jaikun was honoured in 2025. The ICONIC AWARDS have also broadened their perspective beyond Europe to include Asia. In previous years, a number of high-quality architectural projects from China, Japan and Thailand qualified for the competition. In addition to the buildings by Vector Architects from Beijing, this year's ICONIC AWARDS were also enriched by elegant buildings from Studio HEMAA in Mexico.

Submissions of buildings and concepts from the African continent should definitely be the next step for 2026 to ensure that the results of this internationally oriented award are of an all-encompassing nature. After all, with the selection of Nigerian architect Mariam Issoufou Kamara (New York City and Zurich) as ‘Creator of the Year’ and Lebanese-French architect Lina Gothmeh (Paris) as ‘Architect of the Year’, the ICONIC AWARDS 2025 are making a clear statement in an industry that is currently reinventing itself.

Jeanette Kunsmann, Editor-in-Chief,DETAIL

German Design Council Unveils the Winners of the ICONIC AWARDS 2025

The German Design Council proudly unveils the winners of the ICONIC AWARDS 2025. This newly designed, cross-disciplinary format celebrates outstanding achievements in architecture, interior design, and product innovation, while reinforcing its position as the leading platform for international exchange across the construction and design sectors. Spotlighting pivotal themes and forward-looking trends – from sustainability and circular economy to digital transformation – the awards not only honour excellence but set new benchmarks for shaping the built environment today and tomorrow.

A Milestone Premiere
With more than 560 submissions from over 45 countries, the ICONIC AWARDS attracted numerous projects from all over the world. Thirty-three projects stood out to the jury and were honoured as “Best of Best”. “This year’s entries impress with their diversity, design quality, and sense of responsibility – from visionary architectural projects and groundbreaking product developments to exceptional interior concepts,” says Lutz Dietzold, CEO of the German Design Council. “With the newly designed ICONIC AWARDS, we are uniting the industry’s innovative power and actively driving international dialogue on the future of design.”

The winning projects can now be explored in the online directory.

Media partnership

With the renowned architecture magazine DETAIL as its media partner, the ICONIC AWARDS promote professional exchange and provide fresh impetus with new networking events.

Elevating Innovation and Responsibility
The ICONIC AWARDS 2025 comprise 5 main and 42 subcategories, making it the central stage for architecture, interior design, and forward-thinking product solutions. New categories such as “Circular Design”, “Healthcare” and “Office and Workplace” spotlight visionary ideas tackling both current and emerging challenges.

The special awards programme also expands, with €10,000 in prize money, to recognise and support exceptional emerging talent in the “Debut Work of the Year” category.

The 2025 jury

An international jury of experts comprising leading figures from the fields of architecture, design and research assessed the topicality, relevance and quality of the submissions. Click here for the jury.

Special and honorary awards

Special award ‘Debut Work of the Year’: Study Pavilion TU Braunschweig by Gustav Düsing and Max Hacke

"With the Study Pavilion at TU Braunschweig, Gustav Düsing and Max Hacke have created a flexible, sustainable debut work that promotes community and participation. The jury honours it as a forward-looking contribution to education and architecture. More information is available here.

Honorary award ‘Architects of the Year’: Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture

Lina Ghotmeh combines cultural identity, history and sustainability to create poetic, responsible architecture. She has been awarded the title ‘Architects of the Year 2025’ for this narrative approach. More information is available here.

Honorary award ‘Interior Designers of the Year’: Lucas Muñoz Muñoz

Lucas Muñoz Muñoz impresses with his experimental design and uncompromising use of recycling and circular principles. His work shows how sustainability and radical design intertwine. More information is available here.

Honorary award ‘Architects' Client of the Year’: Zurich Children's Hospital - Eleonorenstiftung
With the construction of the new University Children's Hospital in Zurich, the Eleonorenstiftung has created a clinic that is a place of comfort and healing. For this people-oriented approach, it has been awarded the title ‘Architects' Client of the Year 2025’. More information is available here.

Honorary award ‘Creator of the Year’: Mariam Issoufou

Mariam Issoufou develops architecture that combines local resources, cultural identity and social responsibility. She is honoured as ‘Creator of the Year 2025’ for this contribution to the global architecture debate. More information is available here.

The renowned architecture competition enters the next round – and raises the bar for 2025. With a new brand identity, new categories and an innovative event concept, the ICONIC AWARDS will strengthen international exchange and make pioneering design and architecture more visible than ever before.

The former formats ICONIC AWARDS: Innovative Architecture and ICONIC AWARDS: Interior Products are merging to create a ground-breaking platform for architecture, interior design and product innovation: the ICONIC AWARDS. In 2025, this new format will bring together even more visionaries and decision-makers from architecture, design and industry – offering global reach, strong networking and valuable knowledge transfer.

New Design & More Categories

The awards will open for entries on 4 March 2025 with a new brand identity: Modern, International, Visionary – this new look emphasises the importance of these qualities in the world of architecture.

In addition to the rebrand, the Awards will also introduce content updates: With the categories ‘Office and Workplace‘, ‘Healthcare’ and the new special category ‘Circular Design‘, the German Design Council as the organiser of the awards is making a clear statement – a stronger focus on sustainability, renovation and the intelligent use of resources. Forward-looking design means thinking ahead, closing loops and shaping change. In addition, a new special award, the ‘Debut Work of the Year’, worth €10,000, will actively support emerging talent.

International Award Ceremony with Added Value

The 2025 Awards Ceremony will also be reimagined as a day-long event packed with inspiration. Expert talks, matchmaking sessions and a speakers’ corner will create space for knowledge transfer and interdisciplinary exchange. Where architecture meets business, innovations are born that shape our living environment and the design of the future.

A distinguished panel of experts will come together to select the best projects, bringing exceptional expertise to the table. Jury members include Stefan Diez, product designer, Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, co-founder of Norm Architects (Copenhagen), Tina Kortmann, director of UNStudio (Amsterdam), Wei Wu, partner of gmp Architekten (Shanghai) and many more…