Sometimes, when working with existing buildings, things happen that seem like something from a fairy tale. Metamorphoses, for example, in which the dead can be transformed into the living, or the ugly into the beautiful. The
prince’s kiss revitalises Sleeping Beauty, who lies in a death-like slumber. A princess drops her golden ball into the well. The mood is gloomy, for there is no more gold. Yet the princess’s kiss transforms the frog into a prince who shines as golden as the ball which he (the frog) had retrieved from the well.
In this scenario, it is up to you to decide who or what stands for the existing stock, the new construction, the client, or the architect. However, it is safe to say: A good revitalisation transforms grey energy into golden energy. Or
ugly frogs into handsome princes. More precisely: It reveals the beauty that was hidden within the ugly. If and when this happens, it should be recognised and appreciated. That is why we are proposing a new architecture award for good revitalisation projects: The Golden Ball.
Our work with existing buildings has also resulted in something fairy-tale-like happening to our firm. In fact, we have just won something even better than the Golden Ball: Our “Twins in the Park,” which I recently mentioned to you, have been awarded the “AR Future Projects Award 2026” in the “Housing” category. This award is presented by one of the world’s most important and renowned architecture magazines: The Architectural Review.
