The European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation have announced the shortlist for the 2026 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture (Mies van der Rohe Award). Among the 40 projects selected from 410 entries is a Hungarian work, the “Szárító” project in Debrecen by lecturers from the Department of Residential Building Design at the Faculty of Architecture of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

The seven-member international jury, chaired by Smiljan Radić, selected the shortlisted entries during a three-day meeting in Barcelona. The evaluation criteria included the quality of the design, the contribution to the climate goals of the European Green Deal, and the social impact of the projects. The panel also examined the collaboration between architecture, urban planning, and the government/investor sphere, with a particular focus on developments realized on a limited budget.

Of the 11 Hungarian nominees, dmb studio’s work entitled Szárító (The Dryer) made it through to the next round. The project, based on plans by dmb studio, involved the revitalization of a dilapidated tannery in Debrecen, which, thanks to ten years of community-based work by university lecturers and students, has been transformed into an educational and creative space with a contemporary, artisanal aesthetic. The project is listed in the education category. The full list of shortlisted projects is available here.

source: epiteszforum.hu