Selected winner of architectural contest

09 April 2021

Helios, in collaboration with Outsider magazine, organized an architectural contest for renovation of the Training Center for Architectural Coatings. The competition officially began with a tender on November 26, 2020, and the subject of the competition was the artistic, architectural and functional modernization of the facade and the activation of the outdoor space in front of the building, which is located inside the Helios factory complex.

The contest, in which 12 studies took part, ended with the selection of the winner, in addition to which Helios and Outsider magazine also awarded prizes for second and third place, as well as two additional awards.

Why is this competition important? In the industrial sector, quality architecture is often neglected. Designing a quality space is more of a coincidence than a result of careful consideration. The competition wanted to encourage concrete reflection on the spatial culture within the industrial complex and easy ways to upgrade existing facilities.

The winner of the competition became Jakob Smolnikar, who, with the submitted project, largely met the needs of the client. He treats the façade with four different approaches, three of which demonstrate the protection systems of different materials (wood, metals, contact facades), and the fourth expresses the company's focus on ecological solutions. The study combines both an architecturally and artistically well-executed concept.

Helios is expected to start the external renovation of the Training Center for Architectural Coatings already this year, and so the center will soon shine in a new appearance, which on the one hand reflects the purpose of the center, and on the other hand the sustainable orientation of Helios.

You can read more about the end of the contest and the awarded projects in the latest issue of Outsider magazine or on Outsider website.