The winners have been announced for the Maré-Cidade International Student Competition organised on the occasion of the 27th UIA World Congress, originally set to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this past July, but postponed to July 2021.

Organised by the Institute of Architects of Brazil (IAB) with the support of the International Union of Architects (UIA) and UN-Habitat, the competition sought sustainable design solutions for the integration of the Maré-Cidade, one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest informal settlements, to the city of Rio. Located between an important and busy highway (Avenida Brasil) and a cluster of favelas (Complexo da Maré), the competition site is currently occupied by abandoned or disused warehouses and industrial buildings. Projects were required to correspond to UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: «to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable».

«SIHI – Small Industry & Home Industry» , First Prize Winner.

The jury composed of architects Verena Andreatta (Brazil), Alejandro Echeverri (Colombia), Nadia Tromp (South Africa), Gustavo Utrabo (Brazil) and Elkin Velasquez Monsalve (Colombia) for the student competition met virtually on 3 September 2020 to shortlist from the 180 projects submitted.

Under the direction of Jury President Gustavo Utrabo and Jury Secretary Nadia Tromp, 28 projects were shortlisted and the jury held its final online deliberation on 2 October 2020.

The jury awarded First Prize to Zhao Yuanchen with co-authors Ma Yue and Wu Wanling under the direction of advisors Li Hao and Wu Shanshan from Xi’an University of Architecture And Technology (China). The jury praised the winning entry, “SIHI — Small Industry & Home Industry” for its graphic creativity, practicality and cost-effectiveness as well as its “refreshing approach” which “demonstrated a good understanding of the local eco-systems – economy – social – identity.”

«Let convection begin», Second Prize Winner.

«Bridging Borders», Third Prize Winner.

For Second Prize, the jury selected the project, “Let convection begin”, by Xiangru Zhao and co-authors Yipin Wang and Liyuan Liu under the direction of Zhongqi Ren from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (China) for its rigorous approach to urban planning and a good understanding of place.

The jury awarded the project, “Bridging Borders”, Third Prize, noting its “beautifully poetic approach to creating spaces of the community through simple, yet bold interventions.” The project’s authors are a Brazilian team led by Felipe Giacomin Gripa with co-authors Guilherme Silvério Dias, Júlia Morais Peredo, Nathalia P. F. Pinto and Priscilla Mitie Wazima under the direction of Caio Santo Amore de Carvalho and Karina Oliveira Leitão from the University of São Paulo – FAUUSP (Brazil).

Honourable mentions

Gap-Zip.

Leverage Maré with art.

We are one.

Three honourable mentions were also attributed
• The Demetre Anastassakis Prize: “Gap-Zip” by Ye Jialiang with co-author Zhang Jinrui under the direction of Chen Jing and Li Yueyan, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology (China)

• The Roberto Burle Marx Prize: “Leverage Maré with art” by Cui Xuqiu with co-authors Yang Yubu and Gao Ruiyi under the direction of Li Hao and Wang Moze, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology (China)

• The Luiz Paulo Conde Prize: “We are one” by Isabela Monsalve Solano with co-authors Natalie Latorre Vidalves and María Zauner Salamanca under the direction Juanita Fonseca and Camilo Salazar, Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia)

The prize ceremony is scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the occasion of the 27th UIA World Congress of Architects, 18-22 July 2021.

All the prize-winners will be attributed MIDO watches, thanks to the UIA’s longstanding partnership with MIDO.

For more information
Visit the competition site.

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