First prize at the Piranesi Prix de Rome et d'Athènes 2022-23

The international competition of architecture for archaeology

A project developed by two professors from the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, Massimo Ferrari and Claudia Tinazzi, together with Toni Gironès (Estudi D'Arquitectura Toni Gironès and Universitat Rovira i Virgili - Tarragona), has won First Prize at the Piranesi Prix de Rome et d'Athènes 2022-23.

The Piranesi Prix de Rome is an annual international competition of architecture for archaeology, open to universities and professionals engaged in architectural design for the enhancement and redevelopment of heritage. The 2022-23 edition focused on the redevelopment of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens and its surroundings, a vast area in the centre of Athens known as the Archaeological Cultural Park, comprising the Acropolis with its extraordinary monuments, the Greek Agora, the Roman Agora and the two hills Pnyx and Filopappou. In more detail, the groups were engaged in designing internal connections between the different areas, focusing in particular on the route of the Panathenaic procession; designing the redevelopment of the Peripatos, the circular route that winds around the slopes of the Acropolis, with a series of ancient sanctuaries along the way; and finally, designing new profiles of the extrados of the Sacred Rock — reinterpreting the spaces between the Parthenon, Propylaia, Erechtheion, Old Acropolis Museum and Perserschutt — and of the south-eastern slope between the Aglaureion and the Theatre of Dionysus with the Odeon of Pericles.

Twenty-four university research and design teams from twenty Italian and European universities participated in the international call, working in collaboration with internationally renowned architecture firms.

The Scientific Committee finally drew up the following ranking, awarding three First Prizes, three Special Mentions and two Honourable Mentions. The level of research excellence achieved by the Politecnico di Milano in this field is demonstrated by the fact that, in addition to the first prize, one of the Special Mentions and both of the Honourable Mentions were awarded to research groups related to the university.

First Prize (shared)

Alexander Schwarz, Universität Stuttgart, with Martin Reichert, David Chipperfield Architects Berlin.

Massimo Ferrari, Claudia Tinazzi, Politecnico di Milano, DABC - Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, with Toni Girones, Estudi D'Arquitectura Toni Gironès and Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona.

Paolo Mellano, Carla Bartolozzi, Mauro Berta, Massimo Crotti, Annalisa Dameri, Francesco Leoni, Francesco Novelli, Emanuele Romeo; Polytecnico di Torino, Department of Architecture and Design, with Maria Elisa Micheli; University of Urbino, Department of Humanities.

Special Mention (shared)

Alessandro Viscogliosi, Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Planning, Design, Architecture Technology, with Maria Claudia Clemente and Francesco Isidori, Labics, Studio di Architettura e Pianificazione Urbana.

Emilio Faroldi, Matteo Ruta, Arnaldo Arnaldi, Politecnico di Milano, School of Architecture, Urban Planning and Construction Engineering, Departments of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, and Architecture and Urban Studies, with EMBT Architects - Benedetta Tagliabue, Barcelona, and with Alice Bottelli + Joi Donati DBmLab Architects, and Chiara Filios Normale Architettura, Milan.

Luigi Franciosini, Department of Architecture, University of Roma Tre, ICADA - International Centre of Architecture Design and Archaeology.

Honourable Mention (shared)

Luisa Ferro, Politecnico di Milano, Departments of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Fabrizio Slavazzi, University of Milan, Department of Mathematics.

Andrea Tartaglia, Lodovico Migliore, Massimo Bellotti, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, with Studio di Architettura Migliore + Servetto, Milan, Samuele Ossola + Paolo Conforti, Studio di Architettura Pilot, Milan, with Studio Bellotti, Mariano Comense.