The European Cultural Center Italy has announced the shortlist of 21 outstanding projects competing for the 2025 ECC Awards, a prestigious recognition program that has been honoring excellence in art, architecture, design, and academia since 2010. These finalist projects were selected from the Time Space Existence exhibition, which runs parallel to the Venice Architecture Biennale and showcases innovative approaches to sustainable building practices while positioning architecture as a driving force for environmental and social restoration.
The seventh edition of Time Space Existence is an extensive group exhibition spanning three historic Venetian venues: Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora, and the Marinaressa Gardens. This year's exhibition centers on the transformative themes of Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse, highlighting the crucial role of architects and designers as catalysts for positive change in creating sustainable, inclusive, and regenerative living environments. The exhibition demonstrates how creative professionals are actively working to address contemporary challenges through innovative design solutions.
The 2025 competition drew participation from 207 practices representing 52 countries worldwide, with all exhibited projects automatically considered for the ECC Awards. The recognition program celebrates those who are fundamentally rethinking approaches to space, community, materials, and perspectives to build a more sustainable future. The awards are divided into four distinct categories: Architecture, Design, University Project, and Art Installation, with each category recognizing different aspects of creative excellence and innovation.
A distinguished international jury evaluated the shortlisted projects based on rigorous criteria including originality, quality of execution, compelling storytelling, and how effectively each project embodies the exhibition's central themes of Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse. This year's jury panel consisted of renowned experts including Ivan Blasi, Director of EUmies Awards; Amit Gupta, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of STIRworld; Ursula Schwitalla, Art Historian, Curator, and Co-founder of the DIVIA Awards; Martha Thorne, Writer, Curator, Consultant, and Urbanist; and Christele Harrouk, Editor-in-Chief of ArchDaily.
In the Architecture Project Category, six innovative projects were recognized for redefining how people live, work, and interact with space. Notable selections include "Plantation Futures" by Celina Abba and Enrique Cavelier from the United States, which uncovers lost plantation narratives and highlights Black landscapes created for refuge and resistance. The "Cultivating landscape" project by Arhitektura Nova from North Macedonia investigates nuanced approaches to blending landscape architecture with environmental art, while ELEMENTAL and Holcim's collaboration from Chile and Switzerland presents groundbreaking biochar technology that transforms buildings into carbon sinks.
The Design Project Category celebrates five projects that combine creativity with functionality to offer practical solutions. Saudi Arabia's "Traditional with a twist" by A interiors bridges the country's rich cultural heritage with contemporary design, while the United States' "Tactile" by DLR Group creates an interactive installation exploring spatial needs of neurodivergent individuals. Thailand's "Interwoven" by Enter Projects Asia showcases a living tapestry that blends Thai artistry with Italian grandeur, and the Netherlands' "SOMBRA" project by MVRDV introduces dynamic shading systems that adapt to solar conditions.
Five University Projects were shortlisted for showcasing visionary academic research in architecture. Germany's Coburg University of Applied Sciences presented a wooden pavilion constructed using waste wood from bark beetle infestations, while Slovakia's University of Technology explored the adaptive reuse of forgotten manor houses. The Virginia Tech Honors College collaboration with Cloud 9 created "unEarthed / Second Nature / PolliNATION," a pavilion designed to restore biodiversity in Venice's lagoon ecosystem, and Rice University's "Impluvium Redux" offers flexible modular systems for urban rooftops.
The Art Installation Category highlights five projects that adopt artistic approaches using diverse media and creative spatial transformations. Albania's "Albanian Scapes" by Alketa Misja presents a photographic journey documenting massive landscape transformations, while "Excess Entitlements" by Almost Studio and Nanette Carter from the United States investigates the future potential of arrested developments across western states. Taiwan's "Tender Soul of Ocean" by WHYIXD captures wind data and transforms it into dynamic light patterns, creating an immersive experience that reflects on environmental fragility.
The winners of the 2025 ECC Awards will be officially announced during the closing event of Time Space Existence on November 23, 2025. This recognition program continues to serve as a vital platform for showcasing innovative approaches to contemporary challenges in architecture, design, and art, while promoting sustainable practices and creative solutions that address urgent environmental and social issues facing communities worldwide.
