The winners of the reSITE's Young Designers Open Call have been announced. The open call has invited emerging designers to envision a playful yet functional summer installation for Manifesto Market, a popular outdoor venue in Prague known for its blend of food, culture, and community. Out of 275 registered teams worldwide, 57 submitted their proposals in line with the competition guidelines. On April 11, 2025, ten shortlisted designs were presented to an international jury during a hybrid event in Prague, with participants joining both on-site and remotely from countries including Ethiopia, Ecuador, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, France, Belarus, Georgia, and New Zealand.
The independent jury included Jana Zielinski, Director of Designblok; Ondřej Chybík, Co-founder of Chybik + Krištof and co-designer of Manifesto Anděl; Anna Marešová, Founder of Anna Marešová Designers; Jakub Cigler, architect, professor, and Founder of Jakub Cigler Architects; and Martin Joseph Barry, Founder and CEO of Manifesto Market. The jury evaluated each project based on circularity, social impact, and architectural and aesthetic quality.
The process concluded with selecting three winning proposals and one honorable mention. The winning installation will be inaugurated at Manifesto Market Prague in early summer this year, and the awarded designs will receive financial prizes of €400, €600, and €2400, respectively.
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Titled Capturing the Sky, the winning proposal was submitted by Patricia Anagelly San Román Sánchez, Santiago Blanco Olachea, and Dino del Cueto Beato of studio TLAN, a team based between Mexico City and New Zealand. All three are alumni of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The proposal repurposes recycled traffic mirrors from Prague, transforming them into reflective viewfinders oriented toward the sky. By integrating discarded urban infrastructure into the design, the project introduces a functional and sensory experience that encourages interaction between visitors and their environment. The space responds to both natural and social conditions, shifting with the weather, wind, and light, as well as adapting to the rhythm of the site's activities, including concerts, workshops, and daily market life.
Second Place / "A Living Shade for Manifesto Market"
The second-place award was given to "A Living Shade for Manifesto Market," a proposal by Mager Architects, a team based in Ethiopia and composed of Bethelehem Wasihun, Eyoel Getachew, and Kirubel Wasihun. Conceived as a responsive architectural installation, the design introduces a dynamic canopy that engages with its surroundings throughout the day. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant colors of Prague's architecture, the structure acts as a living organism, blurring the lines between architecture, art, and social interaction. Through the interplay of light, shadow, and color, the installation continuously transforms, activating the public space and responding to the rhythms of the market environment.
Third Place / UP!
The third prize was awarded to UP!, a project recognized for its community-empowering dimension. The proposal was developed by a three-member team: Ekin Cem Tümbek from Turkey, and Jade Frick and Thomas Gonin from France. UP! introduces the concept of a collaborative wardrobe, transforming the installation into a participatory space where visitors contribute directly to its evolving identity. Through clothing exchange, storytelling, and repair workshops, the public is invited to engage with the space, sharing garments, tagging them with personal stories, or reworking worn items. The project reflects on themes of fast fashion, overconsumption, and the emotional value of clothing, positioning the installation as both a functional platform and a space for collective reflection.
Honorable Mention / "Sensing Summer"
An honorable mention was awarded to Sensing Summer, a proposal by Julie Chan and Annika Babra from Yale Architecture, based in New York City. The project creates a series of microclimates that represent various landscapes of summer, integrating Manifesto Market's structural and programmatic grid into a system designed for shading, cooling, and social gathering. Emphasizing reuse, the installation incorporates repurposed scaffolding and shipping containers while utilizing tricolor construction nets to evoke distinct summer environments, mountains, lakes, and beaches. Coordinated light, sound, and mist enhance these landscapes, offering a sensory experience that transforms the market space.
In other recent announcements, the Winter Stations annual design competition has revealed four winning designs chosen from hundreds of global submissions. Saint-Gobain announced the winners of the 14th edition of its International Gypsum Trophy during a ceremony in Paris, France. Additionally, Buildner has unveiled the results of its Denver Single Stair Housing Challenge, an international design competition that encourages architects, designers, and urban planners to develop innovative solutions for high-density residential living.
