The Austrian state of Burgenland has announced the winners of its prestigious Architecture Prize 2025, celebrating the most beautiful and innovative buildings in the region. The biennial award, which recognizes outstanding contemporary architecture, presented two equal prizes and two acknowledgments during a ceremony held at the Liszt Center in Raiding on Monday evening.
This year marked the 12th edition of the Burgenland Architecture Prize since its inception 23 years ago. A total of 20 projects were submitted for consideration, with awards presented by Claudia Priber, Managing Director of KBB Kultur-Betriebe Burgenland GmbH. The competition specifically focuses on identifying where the most beautiful and innovative buildings stand in Austria's sunniest federal state.
The evaluation process was conducted by a distinguished jury comprising architect Bernado Bader from the Art Academy Munich, architect Hans Gangoly from TU Graz, architect Anna Wickenhauser from the Art University Linz, architect Kristina Macherhammer, and Susanne Schmall, advisor for building culture. The jury members engaged in thorough discussions about the architectural quality, aesthetics, and innovation of each submitted project.
Particularly important themes relevant to the state were carefully examined and evaluated, including the sprawl problem, approaches to village edges, scale appropriateness, and the integration of new buildings within urban and rural contexts. The jury also paid increased attention to the state's specific building culture and how architects engaged with Burgenland's unique structures, considering how each project contributed to the region's topography, climate, and landscape.
One of the major winners was architect Thomas Kügerl, who collaborated with Birgit Szuppin to create the residential building "haus sz," which earned recognition from the jury. The project represents a perfect blend of innovation and traditional sensibilities that characterize the region's architectural evolution.
In a celebration of tradition meeting innovation, architect Gilbert Berthold, MArch/SIA, received recognition for realizing a unique single-family house with a reed roof in Weiden am See for clients Marina Rosa and Jacobus van Hoorne. The jury specifically praised this project for its consistently sustainable construction approach, noting that the use of renewable, regionally available building materials such as wood, straw, and reed represents a consequent sustainable building method that simultaneously embodies aesthetic independence and high craftsmanship quality. Reed roofing represents a very traditional form of roofing in the Neusiedl am See district.
Another significant winner was "freistil Architektur GmbH," which received an Architecture Prize for their work with the Catholic Parish in Bad Sauerbrunn, Diocese of Eisenstadt, specifically for the renovation and redesign of the Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary. The jury highlighted the special care taken in dealing with the historical existing structure, emphasizing that this careful and thoughtful approach is what is demanded today when dealing with existing buildings – not to overbuild or reinterpret, but to understand and preserve.
Additional recognition was awarded to landscape architect Heinz Gerbl for the City Garden Oberwart project, demonstrating that architectural excellence extends beyond buildings to encompass thoughtful landscape design. Mayor Georg Rosner and landscape architect Heinz Gerbl accepted the prize from KBB Managing Director Claudia Priber, highlighting the collaborative nature of successful architectural projects.
The awards ceremony underscored Burgenland's commitment to fostering architectural innovation while respecting traditional building practices and environmental considerations. The biennial nature of the prize ensures that emerging talents and established architects alike have regular opportunities to showcase their contributions to the region's built environment, maintaining Burgenland's reputation as a center for thoughtful, sustainable architectural design.
