Student Ideas Competition
On the occasion of its 100th anniversary in 2022, IB launched a student ideas competition for the benefit of the next generation of architects – UTOPIA.
The goal of the competition is to provide students with a platform for future-related topics. The competition is held every two years.
The third edition turns to a pressing question within contemporary architectural discourse: the urgency of architectural action in the present. How can architecture respond decisively – and responsibly – to the realities of today?
The jury convened to evaluate the submitted projects, which were presented at the award ceremony held on September 3, 2026, at the Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel, followed by a panel discussion.
The jury comprised a panel of distinguished experts:
• Florian Graf, Architect and Artist, Basel
• Jeanette Kunsmann, Architect, Editor-in-Chief of DETAIL magazine, Munich
• Tanja Reimer, Architect, Visiting Professor EPFL, DOSCRE, Zürich
• Valentin Rilliet, Visual Artist, Zurich
• Yuma Shinohara, Curator, S AM Swiss Architecture Museum, Basel
Internal jury, not entitled to vote:
• Daniel Blum Architect, IB Atelier
• Karina Hüssner Architect, Business Development, IB Atelier
• Lidor Gilad Architect, Head of Design, IB
Competition Results
In recognition of the diversity of approaches evident in the selected submissions, the jury unanimously agreed, in the third round, to distribute prizes and awards of equivalent value among the remaining projects.
A total of CHF 10,000 was made available to the jury as prize money for the student competition. This amount will be distributed among three prizes of equal value and four awards of equal value.
PRIZES
WHY WAIT - CHF 2'000
Sibilla Pollini, Polytechnic University of Milan
UTOPIA S-NOW - CHF 2'000
Sofia Shcherbak, Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering
THE BATTLE OF HEIGHTS: WHO'S LOWER? - CHF 2'000
Valeriia Burkova, Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering
AWARDS
HOW TO FIGHT LONELINESS - CHF 1'000
Bruno Willen, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Carl Dissmann, Berlin University of the Arts
TOMORROW'S TOOLS TODAY - CHF 1'000
Markus Atarah, Nantes University
Risto-Matti Jönkkäri, Tampere University
Lasse Pekkala, Tampere University
MEMENTO VIVERE – MEMENTO BELLI - CHF 1'000
Jeongin Park, Hongik University, School of Architecture Seoul
SOUND SYSTEMS – BUILDING SONIC TERRITORIES - CHF 1'000
Mariami Kurtishvili, Berlin University of the Arts
