Architecture prize of the Province of Styria 2023

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For the 21st time, the Architecture Prize of the Province of Styria was awarded in co-operation with the House of Architecture (HDA), which is endowed with prize money of € 10,000. The purpose of the prize foundation is to promote contemporary, high-quality architecture in Styria. The Styrian Architecture Prize is awarded following a public tender and the decision of a curator. The prize is awarded to a building erected in Styria within the last 2 years.

The Architecture Prize of the Province of Styria 2023 went to PPAG architects für das Steirereck am Pogusch.

The curator Indira Van 't Klooster, curator and director of the Architecture Centre Amsterdam (ARCAM) and previously editor-in-chief of A10 new european architecture Cooperative, appointed by the Styrian provincial government, assessed the numerous submissions and proposed PPAG architects (Anna Popelka and Georg Poduschka) for the Steirereck am Pogusch project for the award of the Architecture Prize of the Province of Styria 2023. The Styrian provincial government followed this recommendation at its meeting at the request of Governor Christopher Drexler.

Excerpts from the explanatory statement by curator Indira Van 't Klooster:
"Architecture is contextual. There is no better way to understand a region or a country than to look at its architectural production. Architecture is a spatial product of its time, its context and its genius (or lack of genius). I wanted to take a closer look at the works that deal with the urgencies of our time: Climate (change), carbon footprint, sustainable production methods, empowering local communities and architectural quality. Architecture must therefore have a greater purpose and benefit than just aesthetics and must be evaluated by more than just architectural quality."

"The Steirereck am Pogusch by PPAG architects establishes a close relationship with nature, both in the way the project uses local materials and in the way it succeeds in creating a protected living space and meeting place that also functions as a regional hub in the network of food production for the catering industry. It connects several buildings constructed between the 17th and 21st centuries, creating a holistic metabolism on the scale of a rural settlement that serves as both an ecological system and an energy hub, partially hidden underground. The architects have created a unique architectural language by respecting the conditions of the past, applying a transparent form follows function principle and practising the reuse or repurposing of materials wherever possible. The result is an eclectic ensemble that provides inspiration for current and future challenges in Styria and beyond."

Governor and Head of Cultural Affairs Christopher Drexler:
"The Steirereck am Pogusch is not just a culinary flagship of Styria. Thanks to the clever architecture, the buildings, which were erected between the 17th and 21st centuries, form an exciting arc that impressively connects the past with the present. Congratulations to the experts who realised this project!"

Recognition for two further projects:
In order to do justice to the overall very high standard of the submissions, the provincial government has decided, following the recommendation of the curator, to award two commendations (without endowment) in addition to the 2023 Architecture Prize. These go to "the Locknbauer wine farm by Mascha Ritter for its exceptional architectural quality and the Stanz town centre project by Nussmüller Architekten, which is an outstanding example of how architecture can be an instrument for citizen participation and sustainable local (re)development." (Indira Van 't Klooster)

Indira van 't Klooster was appointed curator for the Architecture Prize of the Province of Styria 2023 by the Provincial Government of Styria. She is is the director of the Amsterdam Architecture Center (Arcam), which explores the current urban tasks, design challenges, transitions and ambitions that will impact the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region (and beyond) in the coming years. Earlier she headed the editorial team of A10 new European architecture Cooperative (2016). Her books include Forty and Famous - 10 interviews with successful young European architects (Amilcar Publishers, 2016) and Reactivate! Innovators of Dutch architecture (Valiz, 2013). She has been part of many architectural events and juries all over Europe, including the Hungarian Media Architecture Prize, the Young Italian Architects Award, the Estonian Architect of the Year Award, the Dutch Maaskant Prize and the Scottish Doolan Prize. In 2017, she was a fellow at the Institute of Human Sciences in Vienna, researching utopian communities in Europe. She also hosts Architecture Now, a recurring live event in Pakhuis de Zwijger that focuses on all sorts of topics in architecture worldwide. She graduated as an architectural historian at the University of Amsterdam.