What happens when a building is demolished? More than just bricks and concrete disappear — a piece of a neighborhood’s identity, a chapter of its history, fades away with the noise. Old homes, stories and memories vanish, leaving behind an empty space soon to be filled by something new. And with that, the delicate social and emotional fabric of a place begins to unravel.

The cost isn’t only cultural — it’s tangible. The materials we destroy must be replaced, and that comes at an environmental and financial price we can no longer afford to ignore. In Europe alone, construction accounts for 36% of the EU’s total waste. But demolition isn’t just a material issue; it’s often driven by speculation. Buildings are torn down not because they’re unsafe or unusable, but because profit lies in starting over. This speculative logic drives up housing prices and displaces communities.

In response to this reality, more and more voices are calling for a different path: what if we stopped demolishing and started valuing what already exists? If we truly want cities that are more sustainable, livable and human, shouldn’t that be our foundation?

That’s the driving force behind HouseEurope!, winner of the 2025 OBEL Award — an international prize recognizing architecture’s power to create positive change since 2019.

Placing renovation at the heart of cities’ futures

Under the motto «Yes to renovation! No to demolition», HouseEurope! doesn’t look like a typical architectural project — and it is not. Instead, it’s a citizen-led, nonprofit policy lab working across Europe to advocate for a socially and ecologically responsible construction industry. Its bold ambition is to make renovation and reuse central to urban development — not just through design, but through legislation.

“Every minute, a building in Europe is destroyed — not by natural disasters, but by financial speculation,” say co-initiators Olaf Grawert and Alina Kolar. “And while a few profit, we all pay — through rising rents and rising temperatures.”

This year, HouseEurope! launched a European Citizens’ Initiative — a formal petition that, with one million signatures, could prompt EU-wide legal action. Their proposals include ultra-low VAT rates for renovations and reused materials; fair evaluation standards to ensure the potential of existing buildings is properly assessed; and new value metrics that take into account the fossil energy and CO₂ content of existing buildings.

According to the initiative, if current trends continue, Europe will lose 1.5 billion square meters of existing space to demolition by 2050 — the equivalent of Paris and Berlin combined, or housing for 50 million people. Meanwhile, the construction sector remains the EU’s biggest CO₂ emitter, responsible for 38% of total emissions. By awarding HouseEurope!, the OBEL Award jury sends a clear message: the future of architecture isn’t just about what we build from scratch, but how we care for, adapt, and transform what already exists.

4 practical examples where renovation (not demolition) shapes a new urban future

Just as it is said that the best mobility is no mobility, the best demolition is no demolition. HouseEurope!’s approach doesn’t ask us to focus on the latest, most disruptive innovations, but rather to work with the living fabric of our cities — what already exists and breathes — and adapt it to what today’s cities need: fewer emissions, less waste and preserving local specificity.

Here are four examples that demonstrate, across all scales — from humble apartment blocks to megamuseums — how renovation brings European cities closer to that future.

The Cosmopolitan
— by &bogdan —
(Brussels, Belgium)

This urban renewal project transformed a neglected 1960s modernist office building in Brussels into 130 diverse housing units, complemented by a new adjacent volume with 26 additional dwellings. The intervention critically rethinks the original design, preserving and reinforcing the load-bearing concrete frame to add three floors and expose the structure, while integrating generous balconies and sliding perforated panels for light and climate control. Prioritizing sustainable mobility, the project significantly reduces parking spaces and includes extensive bicycle storage. A double-height entrance hall and covered pedestrian pathways reconnect the building with the street and urban fabric. Completed in 2019, this transformation demonstrates how precise, targeted interventions can breathe new life into post-war architecture and enhance quality of life in dense, diverse urban areas.

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Conversion of a Wine Storage into Housing
— by Esch Sintzel Architekten —
(Basel, Switzerland)

The conversion of a former wine storage facility in Basel (2018–2023) into housing centers on preserving and showcasing the building’s iconic mushroom-shaped columns, which become key design and organizational elements. These monumental pillars are exposed within the apartments and along two internal “streets” that run the building’s length, creating a sense of urban structure within the house. These inner streets not only provide access to apartments, stairwells and laundry rooms but also support a variety of residential typologies suited to different lifestyles and generations. A mezzanine level connects domestic and public realms through ramps and stairs, while commercial spaces and a café activate the building’s ends. The path system culminates in a communal room and a shared rooftop terrace, reinforcing the sense of community within this adaptive reuse project.

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Tate Modern
—by Herzog & de Meuron—
(London, UK)

If there is an iconic example of rehabilitation instead of demolition, it is the Tate Modern in London — a landmark case of adaptive reuse and contemporary museum architecture. Completed in 2000, the project transformed the former Bankside Power Station — a vast brick structure on the River Thames — into a dynamic space for modern and contemporary art. Herzog & de Meuron preserved the original industrial character, including the iconic central chimney and turbine hall, which became a signature space for large-scale installations while celebrating the city’s industrial legacy. In 2016, the architects expanded the museum with the Blavatnik Building, a twisting brick tower that complements the original structure and adds more exhibition space, performance areas and a rooftop terrace. The Tate Modern is now one of the most visited modern art museums in the world and a key symbol of urban regeneration through thoughtful, bold design.

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Transformation of 530 Apartments
— by Lacaton & Vassal —
(Bordeaux, France)

Finally, this 2017 project transformed three social housing buildings in Bordeaux’s ‘Cité du Grand Parc’ into high-quality, spacious dwellings through the addition of large winter gardens and balconies, enhancing light, views and living space without major structural changes. By preserving the original buildings and focusing investment on generous extensions, the design achieves comfort, flexibility and sustainability in an economical way. Interior upgrades, improved access and garden renovations further elevate living conditions. This project demonstrates how thoughtful, cost-effective interventions can redefine the image and quality of social housing, turning outdated structures into desirable urban homes.

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Cover image: © Weinlager Esch Sintzel Architekten

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