Nagroda Roku SARP — the most important award in Polish architecture
Among Polish architecture awards, the Nagroda Roku SARP (the SARP Award of the Year) holds a special place — awarded by the architectural community to its own, it is regarded as the most substantive distinction in the country. The Association of Polish Architects uses it to honour the best building completed in Poland in the previous year.
What the Nagroda Roku SARP is
The competition assesses buildings that have actually been completed, not concepts. The verdict is decided by a Competition Jury composed of architects; the outcome comprises awards in thematic categories and the Grand Prix. In the 2025 edition the Jury assessed 101 projects, of which 20 qualified for the next stage.
The 2025 winners
The gala was held on 6 June 2025 in the pavilion of the Zamoyski Palace in Warsaw. The Grand Prix went to the SLAS Architekci studio for the AJNFART multi-family residential development in Rybnik — which also took the award in the multi-family residential building category. The jury emphasised that AJNFART, designed as a local TBS (social housing) scheme, is an example of affordable construction that sets the direction for housing as a whole. Awards in the remaining categories went to, among others: Dom w Skarpie (77 Studio Architektury), a school and kindergarten in Warsaw (Bujnowski Architekci), the Pszczyna Cultural Centre (Kozień Architekci), the Świętokrzyski GUM Laboratory Campus in Kielce (BDMA), the redevelopment of Łódź's Plac Wolności (Freedom Square) (mamArchitekci and A2P2) and Student Hall No. 7 in Warsaw (Projekt Praga). Honourable mentions went to, among others, KWK Promes (Gambit Office), WXCA (the Żeromski Theatre in Kielce) and WWAA (the E. Wedel Chocolate Factory).
What the verdict says about the direction
The Grand Prix for an affordable multi-family building from Rybnik — rather than a prestigious commercial development in the largest cities — is a clear signal from the profession: the most highly valued architecture today is that which responds to a real social problem, namely the availability of housing. For developers, the SARP verdict is a useful map of the values the industry regards as setting the standard.
An editorial piece by Method Press based on public industry sources, market data and legal acts. Accurate as at the time of publication — data, regulations and dates may change.