Lyon hosts Holcim Foundation Awards 2025 jury for Europe

The jury was chaired by architect Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, Founding Partner, Snøhetta, Norway, and included a distinguished panel of experts:

Thomas Auer – Professor of Building Technology & Climate Responsive Design at the Technical University of Munich, Germany

Sandra Boivin – Head of R&D Department, Solutions & Products, Holcim Innovation Centre, France

Caroline Bos – Co-founder & Principal Urban Planner, UNStudio, Netherlands

Johanna Gibbons – Founding Partner, J&L Gibbons, United Kingdom

Stuart Smith – Director, Arup, Germany

Pierluigi Turco – Founding Partner, a-fact | architecture factory, Italy.

Sou Fujimoto commented on the flexible nature of the discussions. He noted that jury members approached the process without fixed opinions, but through open dialogue, gradually deepened their understanding of each project—adjusting their perspectives step-by-step to reach consensus.

The diverse panel brought together deep expertise across architecture, engineering, and sustainable design, assessing projects against the Holcim Foundation’s core principles: uplifting places, a healthy planet, thriving communities, and viable economics.

Stuart Smith, an engineer who also serves on the Holcim Foundation’s board, reflected on the role of the Holcim Foundation and its future focus.

During the gathering, jury members visited examples of sustainable design in Lyon, including Holcim’s Innovation Hub and the Confluence district – a landmark urban redevelopment project. The Innovation Hub at the Holcim global research and development center, showcases cutting-edge sustainable building solutions, while the Confluence district demonstrates how former industrial areas can be transformed into vibrant, low-impact urban neighbourhoods.

Stuart Smith noted that seeing thoughtful urban planning and sustainable design in action offered the jury an energising lens for their deliberations, grounding conversations in the built realities of today and the long-term outcomes of past ambitions.

“Lyon’s La Confluence is a compelling example of how urban development evolves over time,” he said. “I visited 20 years ago at the very beginning of the project, and now you see the outcome—a thriving city, a revitalised neighbourhood that brings people together. It’s full of fantastic public spaces and reconnects the city with nature at the meeting point of two rivers. It’s a powerful case study in what sustainable urban transformation can look like.”

The outcomes of the jury deliberations will be celebrated at the Holcim Foundation Awards Ceremony to take place in November in Venice, Italy.