There is no shortage of architecture awards! Every self-respecting city or region seems to have its own, and in recent years, property fairs, building material manufacturers and other professional organisations have also begun to promote architecture by creating their own awards.

Given this proliferation, what is the value of an architecture prize, and where exactly does its impact lie?

These were precisely the questions on the table when the Brussels Architecture Prize was first conceived, on the initiative of the Brussels-Capital Region and in collaboration with urban.brussels and A+ Architecture in Belgium. It quickly became clear that this prize should highlight contemporary production rather than shine the spotlight on one or more winners. The prize is therefore more a means than an end in itself. A means of stimulating debate on architecture, both within the sector and among the general public. A means, too, of using this debate to put new issues on the agenda in order to influence policy and, where possible, adapt it. And finally, a means of showcasing Brussels in its role as a metropolis, a theatre for renowned architects and newcomers alike, but also as a laboratory for contemporary architecture and urban planning, and a source of inspiration for urban policy extending far beyond the borders of the Region.

The success of an award depends on the credibility of its judges. A scientific committee put together a fully international jury representing the different facets of the architectural world. Out of the 175 projects submitted, the jury nominated 31 projects, selected four winners, awarded the Young Promising Architect Award to a rising young talent and the Lifetime Achievement Award to an iconic Brussels firm. ‘I am very impressed by the quantity and quality of the projects submitted,’ said Konstantinos Pantazis, vice-chairman of the jury, immediately and unanimously approved by the other jurors. This quality is attributed to the richness of the architectural culture, the excellence of the teaching and the fertile ground, the result of critical management.

This is what we will explore in this issue, which takes a look at all the nominated projects in words and pictures. In a photographic essay, Stijn Bollaert has placed a series of projects in the sometimes surprising, sometimes exceptional context of Brussels’ urban fabric. The debates we have organised in recent months in collaboration with CIVA to give a voice to decision-makers and the authors of the nominated projects are echoed in the themes addressed by the projects, but also in an analysis of current architectural policy in Brussels. ‘Although we can obviously congratulate ourselves on the fact that visitors from other European cities now look with admiration and envy at the contemporary architectural scene in Brussels, whereas for several decades the capital was considered an architectural pariah, we must resist the temptation to become complacent,’ writes Colm mac Aoidh. The long-term success of any policy depends on the ability to integrate both its strengths and weaknesses in order to reflect on ways to continuously improve it.” This award hopes to take a new step in the process of essential self-reflection and in the pursuit of policy development in line with a dynamic architectural culture.