On 7 October 2025, the German Design Council – Rat für Formgebung – honoured the winners of the ICONIC AWARDS 2025 at BMW Welt in Munich. With its cross-disciplinary approach, the format recognises outstanding achievements in architecture, interior design and product innovation. With 560 submissions from 48 countries, the high level of international participation underscores the global role of the ICONIC AWARDS as a seismograph for current developments in architecture and design. This year, 33 projects received the highest distinction, “Best of Best.”
The award-winning solutions address the current discourse within the architecture and design sectors and vividly reflect how the industry is responding to key future issues: architecture that consciously engages with its location and strengthens local identity; a sensitive approach to existing structures that continues their historical narrative; the renaissance of brick as a defining material; and interior design that makes urban spaces more resilient for the future. These strategies are complemented by product solutions that respond to resource scarcity and follow the principles of circularity. International voices from Slovenia, the Netherlands, China, Spain, Germany and many more contribute to showcasing the diversity of approaches and advancing the global dialogue.
Lutz Dietzold, CEO of the German Design Council, explains: “With the ICONIC AWARDS we create a space for resonance within the industry. Here it becomes visible how designers can learn from each other across disciplinary boundaries. This is precisely the strength of this format: it opens up new perspectives, connects knowledge and demonstrates how collective thinking drives innovation.”
Contextual Architecture – Architecture in dialogue with place
“Contextual Architecture” represents a design approach not defined by a uniform formal language, but one that takes its cues from place – its landscape, history and building traditions. An impressive example is the Trifolium Wine Cellar in Goriška Brda, Slovenia, designed by the Slovenian practice Lendarchitektur. The building appears to grow naturally out of the hillside, as though it had always been part of the vineyards. Instead of seeing the fragile flysch rock as an obstacle, Lendarchitektur turned it into a defining element. Rather than excavating a conventional pit, the architects used an arched pile system that respects the topography and minimises the environmental impact. The cloverleaf-shaped floor plan follows the terrain, dividing the wine cellar into distinct chambers. Carefully positioned openings maintain the visual connection with the landscape, making the production process a tangible part of the site. The jury praised the project for achieving “a truly exceptional level of contextual quality” and awarded it “Best of Best.”
Heritage Reloaded: Re-coding the built environment
Working with existing structures is no longer solely about preservation, but about transformation – translating architectural substance into new programmes. This “re-coding” opens up opportunities to re-anchor outdated or controversial structures and give them new relevance. A striking example among the ICONIC AWARDS 2025 winners is the Pyramid of Tirana in Albania, redesigned by MVRDV. Originally built in the 1980s as a monument to dictator Enver Hoxha, the building came to symbolise a contested past and had fallen into decay. Instead of demolition, the architects opted for transformation: the hermetic concrete structure was opened up with wide exterior staircases, generous passages and new access points linking the shell to the city and allowing fluid movement. Today, the Pyramid hosts educational and cultural facilities used by start-ups, NGOs and young initiatives. What was once an inaccessible monument is now an open structure accommodating diverse programmes. The building retains its iconic presence, but its meaning has fundamentally changed – from a symbol of power to a human-centred, adaptable urban infrastructure.
Brick in focus: A culturally defining material reimagined
Brick continues to occupy a central position in architectural discourse. As a fundamental building material that has shaped cultural and urban landscapes for centuries, it is no longer viewed merely as a relic of the past but as a resource with future potential. Its strengths – durability, reusability and the ability to serve as both structural and atmospheric material – meet the demands of contemporary low-tech strategies: thermal storage, breathability, and longevity. The Kulturraum Flix in Spain, designed by Camps Felip Arquitecturia and awarded “Best of Best,” demonstrates the material’s contemporary relevance. In the Catalan town of Flix, the architects transformed a former agricultural warehouse into a cultural centre, using brick as a link between past and present. The historic façade was preserved, while the interior reinterprets the material as flooring, wall cladding and structural element. A double-skin wall system integrates the technical infrastructure and enhances the building’s energy performance without breaking the material logic. The jury praised the project for “preserving historical references while adapting the building to a diverse, contemporary use,” and highlighted the “consistent use of simple materials” that create a dense, atmospheric interplay between old and new.
Learning from architecture: Adaptive interiors
What has long been established in architecture – modular planning, reversible construction and circular material strategies – is increasingly being adopted in interior design. Spaces are no longer conceived as static configurations, but as open systems anticipating reuse and embedding adaptability within their structure. The interior becomes a flexible resource within the urban context – strategically planned and executed with material awareness.
A notable product innovation in this context is Flotex Next by Forbo Flooring. The textile flooring combines the robustness of elastic coverings with the quality of textile surfaces and sets new standards for circularity: produced entirely with green electricity, made from recycled materials, repairable, reusable and fully recyclable. Its innovative “Next” backing allows it to be laid loosely for the first time – without adhesives, quick to install, and easy to remove at the end of its life cycle. The jury noted that “all criteria of circular product development are met” and recognised Flotex Next as a pioneering solution for genuinely sustainable projects.
The Shiyefengwu Shuncheng Store in Kunming, China, designed by Studio D’Arkwave, demonstrates how these principles can be spatially translated. On just 108 square metres, the team created a highly adaptive space using a modular plug-in system that allows quick assembly and disassembly without drilling or cutting. Locally sourced materials – perforated bricks, threaded rods, nuts, and untreated ash wood shelves – form the basis. Three fixed elements – an abstracted map of Yunnan, a rotating platform and a central kitchen island – structure the space, while other modules can be freely repositioned. The jury awarded the project “Best of Best,” describing it as “a fantastic example of how highly individualised, flexibly adaptable and later reversible retail interiors can be created from elemental materials.” Both the store and Flotex Next demonstrate that circular material strategies are now an integral part of interior design focused equally on adaptability and resource conservation.
You can read all trend reports and discover the winning projects here.
About the ICONIC AWARDS
For over a decade, the internationally renowned award has honoured visionary architecture and sustainable design solutions. The ICONIC AWARDS spotlight outstanding projects in urban and landscape design, interior architecture, product development and innovative materials, promoting exchange among leading figures in the industry and setting new impulses for the future of architecture.
About the German Design Council – Rat für Formgebung
The German Design Council is Germany’s leading design authority – since 1953. As a thought leader, it bears a special responsibility to unlock the potential of design for a sustainable future. It brings together business and design to drive circular design, transformation and economic success.
Contact
Paula Löwen-Pohle, Director ICONIC AWARDS
Tel +49 (0) 69 24 74 48 611
E-Mail iconicawards@gdc.de
www.iconic-awards.de