Dutch social venture Shift pre-selects Heatherwick Studio and Ecosistema Urbano to enter its architectural competition for designing a new “World Wonder” to spark climate action. The teams lead by Lisa Finlay (Heatherwick) and Belinda Tato (Ecosistema Urbano) will be accompanied by three firms selected by a jury for the second stage of the competition.
Launched on the 15th of January with a prize pool of €250,000, the Shift competition has the aim to find a design for a landmark to attract over 1 million annual visitors. Shift envisions a dynamic space where stories of passionate climate and sustainability pioneers converge, aiming to inspire its visitors on a large scale.
I learned that the standard industry approach is to invite 5 to 10 high-profile architecture firms and run a closed process. While this sounded like a safe option, it didn’t reflect the Shift belief that innovation for a more sustainable future can come from anywhere in the world. A challenge of this scale calls for many brilliant minds to share their ideas.“ says Don Ritzen, Founder of Shift.
At the same time, the Shift founder also needed to convince stakeholders that he could attract the caliber of design talent necessary to make our vision a reality. His response is a hybrid competition that unites these two models. The process will be largely open, welcoming bold ideas from all corners of the world to submit for three open spots, accompanied by two pre-selected firms, one globally renowned architecture firm and one innovative smaller firm.
This way, Ritzen wants to signal the range and caliber of desired talent to its key stakeholders. At the same time, the initiative runs an open competition for three more spots for stage one of the competition. Each of the five firms will receive €40,000 for their work and will be subject to the same conditions for evaluation in stage two. The winning team will receive an additional €50,000 price.
The first pre-selected company, Heatherwick Studio is a team of over 250 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone. Based out of their combined workshop and design studios, they create buildings, spaces, objects and infrastructure. They want to see a world where the buildings and places around us are radically more joyful, engaging and human. Notable projects include the UK Pavilion; Expo 2010, the Olympic Cauldron; 2012, and the Vessel; NYC.
“Architecture can help shape how we experience the world. We're excited to be invited to the competition and support Shift’s vision of using design to inspire action on the climate crisis," says Lisa Finlay, Group Leader and Partner at Heatherwick Studio.
The second spot in stage two is reserved for Ecosistema Urbano. The Madrid and Boston based architecture firm was co-founded in 2000 by architects Belinda Tato and José Luis Vallejo. The firm defines its approach as “urban social design,” focusing on creating environments that enhance self-organization, social interaction and environmental connectivity. Their notable works include the Eco-Boulevard in Madrid and Polinature, a climate prototype designed to mitigate urban heat and attract pollinators.
“We believe in the power of design to shape a better world and address climate change. This project has the potential to catalyze collective transformation, and we fully embrace the challenge." says Belinda Tato, Founding Partner and Director of Ecosistema Urbano.
The jury tasked with selecting firms accompanying Heatherwick and Ecosistema Urbano is drawn from the fields of architecture, impact investing, biodiversity, academia, real estate and the cultural sector: Aric Chen (Nieuwe Instituut), Astrid Leyssens (We Are Impact Collective), Ben van Berkel (UNStudio), Clemens Brenninkmeijer (Redevco), Géke Roelink (Nemo), Dr. Lewis Akenji (Hot or Cool institute), Lodewijk Hoekstra (NL Greenlabel), Matthias Schuler (Transsolar), Mireia Luzárraga (TAKK), and Nicole Maarsen (Social Value foundation).
Shift accepts submissions for the stage one of the competition until 3rd of March 2025. The announcement of the winners from the open competition will follow on 17th of April, with all of the five teams then having time until 10th of September to submit their proposal for stage two.