The "Award for Exemplary Buildings in North Rhine-Westphalia" recognizes outstanding architectural achievements every five years, presented jointly by the State Ministry for Home Affairs, Local Government, Building and Digitalisation and the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Architects. This year marks a milestone: the tenth presentation of this prestigious award. Twenty-five new and renovated buildings, along with landscape design projects from across North Rhine-Westphalia, have earned the "Award for Exemplary Buildings in North Rhine-Westphalia 2025". The award ceremony will take place on 9 February 2026 at K21, Düsseldorf's renowned art museum. "This award is celebrating a special anniversary this year," says Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Home Affairs, Local Government, Building and Digitalisation. "As we present the prize for the tenth time, it has truly become a mark of distinction in our profession. This award reminds us of something essential: architecture is far more than stacking bricks—it's an expression of culture itself. My heartfelt congratulations go to all the award winners."

The spectrum of winning projects spans a diverse range—from major civic structures and residential developments to office complexes, public spaces, and private homes. For the Chamber of Architects, this biennial selection process offers a revealing snapshot of current design and construction trends. Out of 159 submissions, 25 projects ultimately received recognition. "What's particularly encouraging is that many of these projects strengthen community life in our cities and towns, or demonstrate thoughtful evolution of existing structures," notes Ernst Uhing, President of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Architects. "Remarkably, roughly half of the selected works come from the subsidized housing sector—a testament to quality design across all building types." According to jury chairman Dipl.-Ing. Martin Bez of bez+kock architekten, "The caliber of submissions was consistently excellent, which made our selection process particularly challenging." The 25 award-winning buildings are distributed across 16 communities throughout North Rhine-Westphalia: Aachen, Alfter, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Emsdetten, Erftstadt, Essen, Gummersbach, Hamminkeln, Hennef, Ibbenbüren, Cologne, Leichlingen, Münster, Wadersloh, and Wuppertal.

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