This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.
The European Commission has awarded the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Prizes 2026 to 13 laureates from several EU countries, Ukraine and North Macedonia, as well as Japan and Brazil, which won the international competition of the awards. In their sixth edition, the NEB prizes reward outstanding projects, concepts and ideas that combine sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics, demonstrating how the lives of people and communities can be enriched by bringing together culture and technology, innovation and design.
The prizes were awarded in two strands: one for established projects (the ‘New European Bauhaus Champions’) and one for promising initiatives from younger applicants (the ‘New European Bauhaus Rising Stars’). The 2026 edition also includes a special prize for water resilience and international prizes for projects from Brazil and Japan.
Alongside the NEB Prizes 2026, 20 small municipalities were awarded the NEB Boost for Small Municipalities. This highlights the crucial role these communities play in shaping a future that is more sustainable, inclusive and beautiful. This new initiative is supported by a pilot project of the European Parliament.
All winners received a monetary prize of up to €20,000 and a dedicated communication package, as well as targeted coach support and mentoring to strengthen their visibility.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “For the past six years, this competition has shown the very best of European creativity for building a sustainable, inclusive and beautiful future. This year’s special prize highlights the importance of water resilience and improving the way we manage water – one of our most precious resources. And the international prizes show how the values of the New European Bauhaus resonate beyond Europe, from Brazil to Japan.”
New European Bauhaus Prizes 2026 laureates
The winners of the ‘New European Bauhaus Champions’ strand include France’s Circular by Nature, an urban oasis where nothing is wasted and everyone contributes. In Germany, the Big People project brought children from local families and children with refugee experience together to create a circus carnival. Ukraine’s Therapeutic garden at the VDNG is a public space for defenders, veterans, and everyone seeking recovery. And in Cyprus, the Social Impact Generator Hub transformed a container in Nicosia, Europe’s last divided capital, into a living lab for inclusive innovation. In this strand, Alicante’s La Marjal Floodable Urban Park is absorbing stormwater through natural wetland systems and transforming flood risk into a vibrant public landscape, won the public vote.
In the strand for the ‘New European Bauhaus Rising Stars’, winning projects include Belgium’s Coots as Partners in Circular Care, which developed custom-designed floating platforms inviting all waterbirds to breed safely on urban canals, while North Macedonia’s Traviata in Three Acts transformed a neighbourhood in Skopje. Portugal’s Casa da Azenha is transforming a traditional family olive mill into a vibrant living lab in Santa Cruz do Douro. Spain’s PROXIMITY COMUNNITY is turning the Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque in Barcelona into an equipped park, redefining this environment through the implementation of urban orchards and the construction of 147 social housing units. Still in this strand, Romania’s Formform is helping architects through an adaptive, research-informed digital process, translating ideas into design inputs they can use directly, won the public vote.
New European Bauhaus special prize for water resilience
The special prize for water resilience goes to ECO H2O from Romania. The project has created the first nature-based wastewater system in rural Romania, in the UNESCO heritage village of Viscri.
New European Bauhaus international prizes
For the first time, the Prizes have extended beyond Europe, with an international prize open to Brazil and Japan. The international prize for Japan goes to Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center “WHY”, an environmental public complex dedicated to building a circular society.
The international prize for Brazil goes to Urban Community Mini-Forests São Paulo, which is transforming underused spaces into public schools, as well as other public facilities into biodiverse climate refuges co-created with students, educators and local communities.
Background
The prizes were awarded during a ceremony held in Brussels on 15 October in the presence of Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto; Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen; Marcos Ros Sempere, Member of the European Parliament; and Heike Raab, Member of the Committee of the Regions; among other European and national authorities.
Launched in 2021 following President von der Leyen‘s 2020 State of the Union address, the NEB has grown into a vibrant community of over 2,000 members across Europe and beyond, and with over 700 NEB projects supported to date. With the NEB Council Recommendation and Commission Communication, the initiative is moving from vision to implementation – supporting tangible change on the ground and contributing to better living environments for people across Europe.
Through the annual NEB Prizes, the initiative highlights tangible solutions that show how communities can live more sustainably and beautifully, while ensuring affordability and social fairness. Across five editions, the NEB Prizes have brought visibility to projects, concepts and ideas from across the EU, the Western Balkans and Ukraine. Since 2021, over 6,400 applications have been received, and 107 winners have shared more than €2.2 million in EU support.
For more information
List of the NEB Prizes winners
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