In the summer of 2010, young innovative architects from all over Europe participated in the first Urban Intervention Award Berlin. Over 60 contributions from across Europe were received

The works range from small but effective interventions in the social fabric of the city to buildings that give shape to their ideas and approach the environment with a new positive impulse.

Shortly after taking office as the Berlin Senate Director of Building, the idea began to form in my mind of establishing an Urban Intervention Award and it is a great pleasure for me to confer this award for the first time this year. The European-wide competition, initiated by the Senate Department for Urban Development, was consciously designed to extend Berlin’s and Germany’s established and cultivated “prize tradition”. The Urban Intervention Award Berlin is concerned with the development of new, creative urban sites with a high architectural quality and exemplary character. Generated through an innovative and interdisciplinary collaboration of cooperation partners from different fields and disciplines, such as culture, architecture, initiative groups and business etc., these sites act like crystallisation points within the city, generating a sustained change in the living space. Accordingly, the selection criteria are the urban development and spatial approach, the socio-cultural and social context, the design aspect, the utilisation concept and the collaboration with cooperation partners.

The Urban Intervention Award Berlin 2010 honours work which has been created within Europe over the last five years and has demonstrably changed people’s environment and living space. There are two prize categories: the first considers the built city, (Built), the second considers temporary projects (Temporary), which function for a limited period, and like “vagabonds” alter urban locations with their temporary character. The first prize invitation of the Urban Intervention Award Berlin 2010 generated a pleasingly large response. Over 60 projects from Berlin, Germany and Europe were submitted, above all by young, innovative offices. The quality of the projects not only surprised the jury, it also rewarded all those who believed in this prize. The first time bestowal of the Urban Intervention Award Berlin 2010 is not only designed as the begin of a recurrent series of prize competitions, but as motivation and demonstration for a planned 3rd International Building Exhibition in Berlin.

Category Temporary
1. Preis The search for Culinary Plurality
Location: Berlin-Neukölln – Germany
Function: public mobile kitchen
Architects: Daniel Unterberg und Isabell Weiland
Client: initiative of the architects
Year of completion: 2009


Category Built
1. Preis Library and Reading Park
Location: Torre Pacheco (Murcia) – Spain
Function: urban interventions for the promotion, management, and planification of public space in Torre Pacheco with library, sports and recreational areas, school
Architects: Martin Lejarraga, Cartagena – Spain
Client: EXCMO, Commune Torre Pacheco
Year of completion: 2007