European public space prize names five finalists

European public space prize finalists will be announced Oct. 15 at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), and all five shortlisted projects share a single theme: reclaiming land from cars to create parks, public baths, and green infrastructure.

European public space prize finalists reclaim land from cars

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona launched the award in 2000 to recognize the creation, transformation, and recovery of urban public space across Europe. The prize is given every two years, and unlike many architecture awards, it honors both the design teams and the public institutions that promoted the projects, placing equal weight on design quality and public benefit, the CCCB said.

The jury is chaired by architect Eva Prats, and the 2026 edition shortlisted five finalists out of 381 entries from 38 countries. Over its 25 years the prize has received about 2,800 entries.

Five projects, one common idea

The five finalists range in scale from approximately 2,207 square feet (205 square meters) to 48 kilometers in length, but the jury said they all share the same message: public space of any size can serve as critical infrastructure to confront the climate crisis.

• Zuidpark, Antwerp, Belgium: An underused surface area above an old dockyard has been remade as an urban green lung, designed to support biodiversity, manage water, and provide neighborhood recreation.
• Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona, Spain: A major transport interchange has been moved underground so the surface can be returned to a park and public square, offering shade and cooling for the local community.
• Rotunda Baths, Logrooo, Spain: A 205 square meter traffic roundabout was fitted with a temporary public bathing facility during the Concntrico architecture festival in June 2025, turning an old fountain into a shallow pool and repurposing cast iron planters as steam bath hearths. The installation existed for only one week, but the jury highlighted its demonstration value as a climate refuge.
• Lea7a Green Corridor, Portugal: A 48 kilometer linear corridor connecting four municipalities that adds 22 hectares of public space, with a focus on ecological restoration, water resilience, and sustainable mobility.
• Peace Park, Vicenza, Italy: A former airport site transformed into a 65 hectare landscape park, the most comprehensive conversion among the five finalists.

Barcelona’s Plae7a de les Glf2ries Catalanes project removed surface traffic and placed vehicle circulation below ground, freeing the plaza for green space and gathering areas that serve as a local climate refuge.

The Rotunda Baths in Logrooo stood out for its inventive reuse of a traffic circle into a temporary cooling and bathing installation. Architect Leopold Banchini constructed a pavilion of raw wooden boards at the center of the roundabout, converting the fountain into a shallow pool. The brief lifespan of the installation underscores how difficult it is to make permanent changes to car centered infrastructure.

Scale and climate urgency

The largest finalist, the Lea7a Green Corridor, stretches 48 kilometers and introduces 22 hectares of linear public space to promote ecological recovery and sustainable travel. The panel noted that most of the 25 shortlisted projects are landscape led, and that reusing existing infrastructure is almost a prerequisite for selection.

Italy’s Peace Park in Vicenza turned an old airport into a 65 hectare landscape park, which is about 161 acres. The jury said southern Europe is well represented among the five finalists because the urgency of heat waves there has made climate adaptive public space a higher priority.

Lessons for Hong Kong

For Hong Kong urban planners and residents, the shortlist is less about who will win and more about the approach. Hong Kong’s public space has long been dominated by roads, underpasses, and parking areas where pedestrians always yield space. The five European projects show alternatives: transport infrastructure does not always have to be demolished to be repurposed into parks, baths, or climate shelters.

The Rotunda Baths entry, which existed for only one week yet made the shortlist, demonstrates that the jury values demonstration projects and ideas as much as finished construction.

The winner will be revealed Oct. 15. Shortlisted teams will present their proposals publicly at the CCCB on Oct. 14.