The International Prize for Architectural Restoration “Fassa Bortolo Domus Restoration and Preservation” was established for the purpose of rewarding and promoting architectural restoration works that have managed to best interpret the preservation principles including through the use of contemporary forms of expression. It was conceived and promoted in 2010 by Fassa S.r.l., owner of the Fassa Bortolo brand, and by the Ferrara University, Department of Architecture.
This year's edition of the International Prize for Architectural Restoration rewards entries submitted as “Built projects;" designers from both the private or public sector and the restoration contractors that completed the winning works will be awarded Gold and Silver medals with a total prize money of 13,000 Euro. The Jury might also decide to identify additional entries worthy of “Special Mentions.”
In addition to the aforementioned monetary prize, the awarded professionals will be invited by the sponsor Fassa srl in Ferrara, Italy, to present their work to a wide public within the framework of the “Restoration and Cultural Heritage Days - VI edition” in March 2024, which is to be published in a variety of magazines and scientific journals.
At each edition, this international initiative places architects in front of the real problems in the realm of architectural restoration that are not typically dealt within abstract multidisciplinary comparisons. Instead, these are learnings that often come from direct contact with construction sites during projects, both during their development and final outcome. The debate that punctually arises within the selection boards is a serious moment of disciplinary reflection.
Since the first edition, the initiative has awarded a variety of interventions that have properly dealt with historical contexts. For this reason, in addition to ancient monumental and historical buildings, the conservation of twentieth-century architecture, industrial places, former warehouses, and more, were also taken into consideration by each past jury and in many cases were awarded as examples of best practices in their own field of application.
The spirit of the prize highlights that the preservation of any structure poses the same problems as historical architecture and involves an accurate knowledge of materials and construction techniques, as well as an understanding of architectural syntax. The philological rigor characterizing the preliminary historical research, followed by a detailed examination of the building and identification of possible intervention strategies are aspects that are always considered along the whole selection process of the possible projects to be awarded.
For more information, visit the official website and download the brochure for the last edition here.
