Can academic projects explore new directions and contribute to public discourse on global and local issues? The 2025 Politecnico di Torino Architecture Students Award aimed to address these questions, showcasing how architectural research, training, and experimentation can be integrated into a school curriculum.
Politecnico di Torino is ranked among the top 20 architecture schools in Europe (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 – Architecture and Built Environment). With over 3,000 students, the Department of Architecture and Design offers a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and three Master’s programs—Architecture for Sustainability, Architecture Construction City, and Architecture for Heritage—all featuring dedicated English tracks. The Department also offers two Bachelor’s and one Master’s programs in Design.
The project selection process featured insights from Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen (Royal Danish Academy and director of CITA – Centre for Information Technology and Architecture), Daniele Belleri (partner at CRA), Paolo Scoglio (The ne[s]t), Michele Bonino, and Silvia Gron. All awarded projects, along with a curated selection of works from the Department courses and studios, are available on the departmental platform Telearchitettura.
Georgian Darbazi: Inspecting the fibers of the past, present & future by Gvantsa Tskipurishvili
The subject of the thesis is the investigation, analysis and methodological proposals for the conservation of wooden vernacular architecture located in Meskheti, a historical region of Georgia. It includes historical research, analysis of technologies, materials and construction systems, in situ assessments for different housing case studies, analysis of main problems, possible solutions and consequent methodology for the conservation and/or reinforcement of such timber structures.
Exploring Socialist Modernism in Bulgaria: A Historical Analysis and Adaptive Reuse of the Bankya Residence as a Case Study of Dissonant Heritage Transformation by Iliyan Stoykov
Thе thesis develops a methodology for objectively analyzing and adapting Bulgaria’s modernist architectural heritage, presenting the abandoned Bankya Residence as a case study. Focusing on contemporary debates about heritage preservation, the research highlights the architectural importance of unique architecture, distinct from typical Eastern Bloc residential design. It examines the socio-cultural context and presents an in-depth study of Bankya Residence, including original archives, professional photography, and detailed 3D models. A two-stage restoration strategy is proposed, encouraging careful integration into modern society without compromising historical authenticity. The thesis ultimately promotes professional, politically neutral approaches to preserving and adapting dissonant heritage sites.
Past Imaginaries: A scenario of spatial politics for an alternative present in post-earthquake Antakya by Ezgi Sahin
Antakya, one of the cities most affected by the earthquakes of February 6, 2023, and the changes it underwent after the earthquakes, form the basis of this research. The research aims to examine post-earthquake political processes from an architectural perspective by investigating the school building network in Antakya’s city centre. Through this study, an alternative narrative is presented where architectural and political elements coexist. Furthermore, a specific school within the network is subjected to a detailed retrospective study in which the dynamics of architecture and politics are discussed.
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