Vote for the New European Bauhaus Trophy design

This year at the Festival of the New European Bauhaus, alongside debates, exhibitions, performances and workshops, visitors will decide what the first ever New European Bauhaus Trophy will look like. Ten designs for the first NEB Prize Trophy will be on display at the Art & History Museum in Brussels, where visitors will be able to vote for their favourite. 

These final contenders were created by students from across the European Union as part of an open design competition. An expert jury drew up a shortlist  based on the quality of their concept, as well as their alignment with New European Bauhaus (NEB) values of sustainability and inclusion. 

The winner will be announced at the Festival on Friday, 12 June. In October, the winning design will become the first physical trophy awarded to winners at  NEB Prizes ceremony, which has been celebrated every two years since the inaugural Festival in 2022. 

The Trophy design finalists are: 

Eos by Alba Aparicio Murillo from Spain, a compostable mycelium-and-wood trophy. Inspired by the Basque landscape and named after the Greek goddess of dawn, it reflects regeneration and a future built in collaboration with living systems. 

Embrace by Emma Benotto and Marianna Schio from Italy, in the form of a circular wooden ring wrapped with natural fibres. Its shape brings to mind ancient wheels and shared histories, symbolising connection, return, and the idea that strength emerges through human relationships.

Aurora by Luca Ambrosi, also from Italy, transforming recycled plastic and stainless steel into a luminous vertical form inspired by the Northern Lights to express renewal and hope. 

The Catalyst by Llorenç Poy Ventura in Spain, also using recycled plastic waste but this time to create a sculptural form with a terrazzo-like texture. Suggesting both a walking figure and an upward arrow, it reminds us that progress is always carried forward by people. 

Unity Block by Lívia Repová from Slovakia, using hempcrete and stainless steel to create a composition of architectural blocks. Inspired by geometry and the golden ratio, it shows how the smallest structural shift can transform the whole. 

(Un)Finished by Katarzyna Mielniczek from Poland, challenging the idea of a trophy as a final object. With recycled glass and biodegradable Zeoform micro pulp, it remains intentionally “incomplete” – not unfinished, but a beginning. 

Pieces by Eva Scozzina and Gabriele Francovigh from Italy, in which a flat sheet of aluminium is folded into an evolving collective structure. A reminder that what we build together is redefined over time. 

Intexo by Italy’s Maria Letizia Arcuri and Annamaria Manias, exploring inclusion through interlocking wooden elements that stay in place only when connected together. 

Endless Triangle by Loïc Ballesteros and Samuel Galmiche from France, building on the balance between  inclusion and sustainability through oak, glass and metal. 

Translucid Memory by Alba Sabio Artal and Daniel Román Gil from Spain, transforming recycled rPET into a luminous object to represent transparency and possibility. 

Each design reflects a different interpretation of New European Bauhaus values. Which will become the official Trophy? Join the Festival of the New European Bauhaus in Brussels from 9 to 13 June 2026 and have your say.