Acclaim, inspiration and wonder as international winners of BRICK AWARD 26 receive plaudits in Vienna

VIENNA, June 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- From a Vietnamese temple to a Mexican tequila factory, the incredible versatility and beauty of brick and ceramic building materials have been celebrated by the world's leading architects and designers at the prestigious BRICK AWARD 26 ceremony in Vienna. Hosted by wienerberger, the manufacturer-independent award recognizes its winners as part of a select group of the world's most inspirational and innovative pioneers of brick architecture.

Presented once every two years, since 2004 the BRICK AWARD has been giving architects a platform for their unique designs and celebrating brick and ceramic building products as timeless materials for innovative and forward-looking architecture.

The award is presented in five categories: Feeling at home (single houses and small projects); Living together (urban residential developments); Working together (commercial and industrial buildings); Sharing public spaces (public buildings and spaces); and Building outside the box (innovation). There is also a Grand Prize for the project chosen by the internationally renowned judging panel as representing the pinnacle of their craft. In addition, for the first time this year, the jury decided to award a Special Prize to a project that is reinventing the idea of neighborhood.

This year's Grand Prize was awarded to Đạo Mẫu Temple and Museum in Soc Son, Vietnam, winner of the Sharing public spaces category. The design by ARB Architects for folk artist Xuân Hinh draws inspiration from deep-rooted traditions, melding a spiritual aesthetic with contemporary life to create a sense of serenity across the 5,000 sqm site. The carbon-negative project upcycled some six million clay tiles sourced from more than 500 local homes, creating a unique and sacred connection with the people of the region.

The Feeling at home category was won by Ca na Birgit (Birgit's Home), designed by TEd'A arquitectes. Built on the cliffs of Ses Penyes Rotges in the west of Mallorca using locally sourced brick, the open-plan, single-family home encompasses a built area of just 194 sqm. The design sensitively addresses the demands of the local climate and environment while responding with ingenuity to the limitations imposed by the location. On the one hand, the house has to look out to the sea, while on the other, it has to be shielded from the neighbors' sight. The project is based on a single gesture that solves both issues: it defines two deep walls set parallel to the neighboring properties, which frame the sea view while providing privacy.

Peris+Toral Arquitectes won the Living together award for a mixed-use building in Barcelona, Spain, featuring 54 social rental apartments. The innovative nature of the design is revealed in a bioclimatic Social Atrium, which connects the homes with social amenities on the ground floor. As well as creating a welcoming communal space, the biomass-fired brick used in the interior and exterior facade keeps the building warm in winter and cool and ventilated in summer.

The Working together award was won by La Hacienda Jalisco in Mexico by ATELIER ARS. The warehouse and office development for tequila maker Clase Azul used local ceramics and stone from the site excavation to anchor the buildings in their volcanic topography. From the east, the building appears as a "ceramic horizon", thanks to a roof clad with traditional clay elements, which physically anchors the building to the earth, producing a topographic relationship with the terrain, blurring the lines between architecture and landscape.

The winner of the Building outside the box category – Endless Brick Playground – was not strictly an engineering project but rather the outcome of the "Fundamentals of Masonry" course for first-year undergraduates at the School of Architecture, China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. Over five weeks, students are tasked with designing a brick-built structure using red bricks as the sole material. Between 2014 and 2024, nearly 80 students have participated in construction on this site, erecting a total of 48 brick-built structures, with students voting annually to dismantle some previous works to make room for new creations. By the end of 2024, the 26 structures preserved in the "Endless Brick Playground" revealed myriad possibilities of form and spatial expression.

In addition, the jury decided to award a Special Prize to an innovative common living concept. This social and urban infill project in Kortrijk, Belgium, reimagines a neighborhood of 54 homes as a contemporary garden city, fostering stronger connections between residents and the surrounding nature, while reinforcing social and environmental bonds. The architecture is shaped by reuse, with reclaimed bricks and tiles forming facades that reflect the availability, history and character of the materials.

"Even after more than 30 years working in this industry, I continue to be inspired by the incredible innovation taking the application of brick and ceramic materials to new heights. Tonight's winners show the versatility of these timeless materials to address the most pressing needs of climate change and modern living while creating a sense of wonder and beauty for the users of the buildings they create," says Heimo Scheuch, CEO, Wienerberger AG.

The BRICK AWARD 26 winners were chosen from a shortlist of 50 projects spanning 21 countries by an international jury of leaders in the field of architecture and design. This year's jury members were:

• Gabriela Carrillo, co-founder of Colectivo C733
• Christine Conix, co-founder of Conix RDBM
• Eduardo Mediero, co-founder of HANGHAR
• Jens Linnet, co-founder of BOGL
• Traudy Pelzel, co-founder of MAP studio

The jury considers innovative design and architecture concepts, skillful and innovative use of bricks as well as architectural quality in terms of aesthetics, shape and configuration of the project. Alongside this, sustainability, climate resilience, energy efficiency and affordable living receive special attention, as does the success of the project in serving its intended purpose, building type and cultural context.

As the pre-eminent international showcase for outstanding brick architecture, being recognized as a BRICK AWARD winner can bring immeasurable reputational benefits. In addition, all winners receive a bespoke ceramic trophy, and the Grand Prize winner also receives a total prize money of €7,000. Category winners receive €5,000, and all winners and shortlisted nominees will be showcased in the prestigious Brick Book 26, the inspirational record and reference point for everyone working at the cutting edge of brick and ceramic architecture.

High-resolution images of the winning entries are available here.

About the BRICK AWARD
The BRICK AWARD is an international architecture prize that celebrates outstanding brick architecture from around the world. Hosted by wienerberger, the award recognizes innovation, craftsmanship, and sustainable design, while remaining independent; use of wienerberger products is not a requirement for participation. Established in 2004, the biennial prize has become a prestigious platform for visionary architects, showcasing the creative and ecological potential of brick in contemporary architecture. Winners from around the world are celebrated during an award ceremony, and their work is featured in the official BRICK Book, alongside nominated projects.

SOURCE wienerberger

Tamara Salloum, [email protected], T: [phone], M: [phone]