Architects for Urbanity (AfU) is a Rotterdam-based collaborative design and research office directed by Irgen Salianji and Karolina Szóstkiewicz. AfU’s work focuses on the analysis and design of cultural and mix-use buildings, as well as the research of the urban qualities that drive our contemporary cities.
The office covers a wide range of expertise; from interior design and architecture up to urban and landscape design. Among the ongoing projects of the office, the new Varna Regional Library is being further developed to be delivered by 2020, a project that was awarded the first price in the respective international competition. The office is also developing several housing projects in the Netherlands and Albania and is currently completing a book about the urban transformation of Tirana, to be published in 2019 by the Architectural Publisher B in Copenhagen.
In 2017 AfU won a 2nd prize in the competition for the new Souda Passenger Terminal in Greece and a shared 1st prize for the Wonen in Winkels competition of Gemeente Rotterdam, in 2015 the office was short-listed and completed the second phase of the international competition to design the new Bauhaus museum in Dessau. Other competition projects of the office include the new Women and Family Complex in Seoul and the renovation of the Town Hall building of Prague district 7 in 2016, the Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki and the redesign of Freedom Square in Thessaloniki in 2014, the Visitors’ Center SNCC in Athens and the finalist Trimo Urban Crash competition in Ljubljana in 2013, a Bioclimatic School in Creta and Porifera Central Library in Helsinki in 2012, as well as the Metro Station 20 in Sofia in 2011 and the Solar Park South in Reggio Calabria in 2010.
The current AfU team includes Irgen Salianji, Karolina Szóstkiewicz, Katarzyna Duliba, Adrianna Drohomirecka and Ferdjan van der Pijl.
Irgen Salianji is an Architect Engineer and a researcher on issues regarding politics, contemporary culture and urbanity. He is a graduate of the Department of Architecture Engineering (2014), University of Thessaly in Greece and Facolta di Architettura (2010-11), UNIRC in Italy. He has lectured the work of AfU in several countries including Netherlands, Greece, Poland and Bulgaria.
His professional experience includes collaborations with Mecanoo, Shift a+u and OMA_Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam. His academic involvement includes invited assistant positions in Design Studios at the Department of Architecture Engineering UTH in Greece.
He has been honored in several international architecture competitions such as the New Bauhaus Museum in Dessau (2015 shortlisted project) and the new Varna Regional Library (1st prize winner 2015). Other major competition projects include the Guggenheim Helsinki Museum/ Finland 2014/, PORIFERA Helsinki Library/ Finland 2012, Bioclimatic School in Creta/ Greece 2012, Sofia Metro Station 20/ Bulgaria and Solar Park South/ Italy 2010.
Karolina Szóstkiewicz is an Architect Engineer and an Urban Designer. She is a graduate of the Department of Architecture Engineering (2010), Warsaw University of Technology in Poland and UNIRC Facolta di Architettura (2010-11). In 2013 she recieved her Master Diploma in Architecture and Urban Planning from Politechnika Lubelska in Poland.
Her professional experience includes collaborations with MVRDV and Monolab Architects in Rotterdam, as well as Kengo Kuma and Associates in Tokyo.
She has been awarded in international competitions, such as the New Bauhaus Museum in Dessau (shortlisted project 2015) and the new Varna Regional Library (1st prize winner 2015). She is qualified in topics concerning the Energy Performance of Buildings.
Ferdjan van der Pijl is a Senior Architect with strong professional experience and technical expertise in the Dutch construction market and abroad.
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INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PROJECTS LIST:
2020
- Sara Hildren Museum in Tampere, Finland
- Nursery and Elderly home in Chania, Greece
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INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PROJECTS LIST:
2020
- Sara Hildren Museum in Tampere, Finland
- Nursery and Elderly home in Chania, Greece
2019
- Tworcza Twarda Cultural Centre in Warsaw, Poland
- Krakow Planet Lem Centre, Poland
2018
- New Urban Centre Tarnovo, Bulgaria
- Residential and Services Building in Rybnik, Poland
- Szczecin Public Library, Poland
- Wroclaw Princes Lubomirski Museum, Poland
- Elefsina Administration Building, Greece
- Central square Purros, Greece
- Moscow Standard Housing, Russia (in collaboration with DROM)
- Central Square Warsaw, Poland
2017
- Souda Bay Terminal Station, Crete, Greece - 2nd prize competition winner
- Hybrid City / Sluisbuurt Amsterdam - Europan - 3rd place
- Cyprus Museum, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Wonen in Winkels, Rotterdam, The Netherlands - 1st prize competition winner
- Seoul Art Complex, Seoul, South Korea
2016
- Seoul Urban Womb Women and Family Complex, Seoul, South Korea
- New Town Hall Prague District 7, Prague, Czech Republic
- Cyprus Pavilion for Venice Biennale 2016, Venice, Italy
2015
- Varna Regional Library 'Pencho Slaveykov' - 1st prize competition winner
- Bauhaus Museum, Dessau, Germany - shortlisted project
- British Pavilion for Venice Biennale 2016, Venice, Italy
2014
- GUGGENHEIM Helsinki Museum, Helsinki, Finland
2013
- 'INTERWAVING' Redesign of Freedom Square, Thessaloniki, Greece
- SPATIAL WOMB Visitors' Center SNCC, Athens, Greece
- ACT[IN]CONTAINES Trimo Urban Crash, Ljubljana, Slovenia - finalist
- 'INVERTED NATURE' Cruise Hyperdock, Geiranger, Norway
2012
- Bioclimatic School in Creta, Herakleion, Greece
- Porifera Central Library, Helsinki, Finland
2011
- Metro Station 20, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Trimo Urban Crash, Ljubljana, Slovenia - finalist
- PanAmerican Olympic Games 2015 Closing Ceremony Pavilion, Torondo, Canada
2011
- Solar Park South, Reggio Calabria, Italy
- Peireus Tower 'changing the facade', Peireus, Greece
- Krakow Planet Lem Centre, Poland
2018
- New Urban Centre Tarnovo, Bulgaria
- Residential and Services Building in Rybnik, Poland
- Szczecin Public Library, Poland
- Wroclaw Princes Lubomirski Museum, Poland
- Elefsina Administration Building, Greece
- Central square Purros, Greece
- Moscow Standard Housing, Russia (in collaboration with DROM)
- Central Square Warsaw, Poland
2017
- Souda Bay Terminal Station, Crete, Greece - 2nd prize competition winner
- Hybrid City / Sluisbuurt Amsterdam - Europan - 3rd place
- Cyprus Museum, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Wonen in Winkels, Rotterdam, The Netherlands - 1st prize competition winner
- Seoul Art Complex, Seoul, South Korea
2016
- Seoul Urban Womb Women and Family Complex, Seoul, South Korea
- New Town Hall Prague District 7, Prague, Czech Republic
- Cyprus Pavilion for Venice Biennale 2016, Venice, Italy
2015
- Varna Regional Library 'Pencho Slaveykov' - 1st prize competition winner
- Bauhaus Museum, Dessau, Germany - shortlisted project
- British Pavilion for Venice Biennale 2016, Venice, Italy
2014
- GUGGENHEIM Helsinki Museum, Helsinki, Finland
2013
- 'INTERWAVING' Redesign of Freedom Square, Thessaloniki, Greece
- SPATIAL WOMB Visitors' Center SNCC, Athens, Greece
- ACT[IN]CONTAINES Trimo Urban Crash, Ljubljana, Slovenia - finalist
- 'INVERTED NATURE' Cruise Hyperdock, Geiranger, Norway
2012
- Bioclimatic School in Creta, Herakleion, Greece
- Porifera Central Library, Helsinki, Finland
2011
- Metro Station 20, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Trimo Urban Crash, Ljubljana, Slovenia - finalist
- PanAmerican Olympic Games 2015 Closing Ceremony Pavilion, Torondo, Canada
2011
- Solar Park South, Reggio Calabria, Italy
- Peireus Tower 'changing the facade', Peireus, Greece
Contact us through the following email:
office@architectsforurbanity.com
