Winners Announcement: Nautical Club Ohrid

TerraViva has officially released the complete list of awarded projects for the architecture contest entitled “Nautical Club Ohrid.”

With a vision to breathe new life into the unused “Youth Union Summer Retreat” building in Ohrid, the competition invited participants to propose adaptive-reuse designs that could revive this iconic piece of modern heritage. Inspired by Boris Chipan’s original program, the contest sought innovative ideas to transform the building into a vibrant Nautical & Social Club that could serve both the local community and seasonal tourists. Designers were encouraged to consider not only the preservation of the structure but also the creation of an inclusive, multifaceted space, fostering a connection between the site, the community, and the natural lakefront.

The awarded proposals were celebrated for their thoughtful and minimal interventions, which highlighted the existing qualities of the building and the landscape. The jury praised the projects’ sensitivity and restraint, as well as their success in aligning new elements with the site’s heritage. Some proposals skillfully honored Chipan’s modernist architecture while introducing dynamic design elements that encouraged social interaction. Through simple yet impactful extensions, modular ordering, and transparent materials, these projects fostered a harmonious relationship between past and present. By integrating flexible, inclusive spaces, the winning designs transformed the retreat into a vibrant social hub, ensuring that the legacy of Ohrid’s architectural heritage endures in harmony with its natural surroundings.

The competition was open to students, architects, designers, urbanists, engineers, makers, artists, and anyone interested in the fields of architecture and design.

The winners were selected by an international jury panel composed of:

• Ana Ivanovska Deskova | Ss. Cyril & Methodius University [Skopje, North Macedonia]
• Mario Gentile | Shiftspace [Philadelphia, United States]
• Preeti Singh | Brand Growth Advisor [Mumbai, India]
• Simon Kilbane | The University of Western Australia [Perth, Australia]
• Jovan Ivanovski | Ss. Cyril & Methodius University [Skopje, North Macedonia]
• Yuqing Zhang | Reed Hilderbrand [Cambridge, United States]
• Nicolò Calandrini | Denara [Ravenna, Italy]
• Eleni Stefania Kalapoda | Embedded Climates [New York, United States]

Jury Comments

First Prize | 65658

“The jury appreciated the project’s intention to minimize interventions on the site and the lakefront, emphasizing a very sensitive approach that highlights the existing qualities of the place.

There is only a single spatial extension, designed to harmonize with the restored main building as well as with the site itself. This decision is strong enough to generate the main strategy of the project, which consists of relating the old and the new volume with one another and with the site itself. The presentation boards are visually attuned to the project, featuring appealing conceptual drawings.”

— Jovan Ivanovski, Ss. Cyril & Methodius University

“Really appreciate the minimalism, constraint, and simple addition to complement the existing building with its modern voice.

Subtle adjustments really sing with this submission, including material choice and program alignment.”

— Mario Gentile, Shiftspace

“With a very simple architectural gesture, the project maintains coherence with the history and materiality of the place. Effectiveness with great sensibility!”

— Nicolò Calandrini, Denara

Second Prize | 70168

“Sensitivity and creativeness combine in this enticing scheme. Connecting practically and spatially through a modular ordering system is smart and enhances the relationship between new and old. Consideration of the context and simple, clear graphic communication.”

— Simon Kilbane, The University of Western Australia

Third Prize | 67228

“Ohrid Reframed breathes new life into Boris Chipan’s modernist white cube, honoring its legacy while introducing contemporary design elements that promote social engagement. This project reimagines the site as a fluid, open environment, challenging the functional boundaries of traditional modernism by fostering spontaneous interaction. Instead of rigid geometries, dynamic linear forms blur indoor-outdoor boundaries, extending the architecture into the landscape and creating spaces that harmonize with Lake Ohrid’s natural surroundings. By embracing flexibility and inclusivity, the project evolves the site into a vibrant social hub, integrating community activities, public gatherings, and urban renewal.”

— Yuqing Zhang, Reed Hilderbrand

WINNERS

• 65658 – Diving into Chipan’s Bath of Modernity – Pablo Lopez, Etienne Gary [France]

• 70168 – OH(G)RID – Leanid Pylila, Vitalii Borisov, Bohdan Berezovskyi, Oleg Kovalyuk [Czech Republic]

• 67228 – Ohrid Reframed – Hieu Phung, Zhaoxiong Han, Jiawei Ji, Zhijin Shen [China]

GOLDEN MENTIONS

• 65566 – Ohrid’s Nautical Association Club – Gustavo Ferreira, Raycke Martos, Thayse Formigari [Brazil]
• 66109 – Hanging is the new floating – Oliver Dalcheski [North Macedonia]
• 66384 – LAKESIDE RENAISSANCE – Simona Chingoska [North Macedonia]
• 66469 – A Screen for Modernism – Alina Maniukhina, Anastasiia Kutsak [United Kingdom – Russia]
• 67886 – Ohrid Nautical Club – Leonardo Tonon, Victor Minghini [Brazil]
• 69640 – Ohrid Assemblage – Phúc Huân Lê, Till Mirkes [Vietnam]
• 69827 – The Boundary – Irena Chichonovska, Viktor Cvetanovski [North Macedonia]
• 69912 – Connections to Courtyard – Burak Mangut [Turkey]
• 69918 – NAUTICAL CLUB OHRID – LAKESIDE DECK – Barbora Gunišová, Dominik Haviar, Mário Melek [Slovakia]
• 70188 – Nautical Club Ohrid: Reviving a Forgotten Modernist Gem – Artem Efanov, Ella Meliksetian [Russia]

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• 66254 – FLUID NEXUS – Filip Spaseski, David Kostadinoski [North Macedonia]
• 66405 – Reimagined Nautical Nest – Fjolla Saiti, Nusejba Hamiti, Arba Saiti [North Macedonia]
• 66473 – OH(G)RID – George Genovezos [Greece]
• 69900 – Harbor of Heritage – Hanqing Yao, Merrick Castillo [United States]
• 69925 – YOUTHICAL – Shehab Elkaranshawy, Salma Hossam, Lina Yasser, Rodaina Elmahdawi [Egypt]
• 69981 – NAUTICAL LOOP – Gullu Bozdogan, Aylin Besiroglu, Elif Koc [Turkey]
• 69984 – Ephemeral Horizons – Jing Chen, Yanci Chen, Qizhen Tang, Yinzhu Yao [United States]
• 70009 – ONC – Orjad Verjoni, Davide Pesavento, Edoardo Gamba, Eleni Sara, Kevin Hasani [Albania – Italy]
• 70041 – The Beachfront Club – Sara Nichota, Zorica Stavrova [North Macedonia]
• 70176 – PALIMPSEST – Sara Gjorgjioska, Angela Petrovska, Tamara Ivanova [North Macedonia]

FINALISTS

• 65997 – Look Up – Lisa Nord [Sweden]
• 66069 – Nautical Roots: Reestablishing Traditional Craftsmanship – Eleonora Bozhinoska, Eleonora
• Mihailovska [North Macedonia]
• 66355 – O-Tesseract – Hamdy Hefnawy, Mennatullah Ezzat [Egyipt]
• 66410 – The Azure Cove – Babak Abdolghafari, Natalie Eshoonejadian, Forough Seyedi, Shaghayegh
• Bagherzadeh Khodashahri, Sadaf Aghamohammadi, Mona Afrazi [Iran]
• 66412 – Contemporary Citadel – Leon Paloski, Jordan Lazoroski [North Macedonia]
• 66596 – Nautical Center Ohrid – Emrah Demir, İrem Katana, Süleyman Salih Başbay, Asya Beril Seven, İpek Süer, Yeşim Demir [Turkey]
• 66658 – Club Lacus-Trine – Hatice Berra Yalçın [Turkey]
• 66663 – Row Relax Recharge – Nina Dereban [Sweden]
• 66971 – From ruin to revival: A monument’s rebirth – Sara Ristova, Dimitar Angjelkov [North Macedonia]
• 67217 – Savoye Interrupted: Elements/Montage/Adaptive Reuse – Patrizio M. Martinelli [Italy – UK]
• 67514 – Nautical Club: The Living Triptych – Helen Cheng [Hong Kong]
• 67768 – THE WHITE SKIN of the NAUTICAL CLUB OHRID – Arià Pla Coll, Joan Salavedra Rovira, Eudald Bosch Carreiras [Spain]
• 68000 – Nauticaland – Di Wu, Zhewen Wu, Jianpeng Bai [China]
• 68086 – A New Harmonija For The Lake of Ohrid – Jusra Durmishi [North Macedonia]
• 69656 – Cobalt Stripes of Ohrid – Ezgi Karadağ, Antonio Morilla Callejón, Eda Keyif, Girayhan Kaya [Turkey – Spain]
• 69664 – Green Haven – Hortense Dion [France]
• 69669 – Shifting Spaces – Mattia Santi, Francesca Silvi, Omar Salama, Krishan Sharma, Duanduan Ding, Arushi Agarwal, Eda Kuzu [UK – Egypt – India – China – Turkey]
• 69728 – Nautical Gateway – Kotaro Shiraishi [Japan]
• 69950 – Lake Ohrid Retreat – Tord-Rikard Söderström, Åsa Rhodin Söderlund, Xerxes Grönlund [Sweden]
• 69952 – Ohrid Nautical Revival Hub – Gencer İşlekter, Fatih Gündüz [Turkey]
• 70027 – Uncorking Ohrid—A Wine-Themed Nautical and Social Club – Manrong Liang, Qian Zhang, Taide
• Chen, Junhua Sun, Yan Wang, Rui Xiong [China]
• 70028 – Architecture tells the story of time – Manrong Liang, Jinjin Liu, Wenjie Chen, Shuolong Geng, Kaiyin He, Rui Xiong [China]
• 70055 – Reborn ‘Mladost’ – Valentina Miladinova [North Macedonia]
• 70058 – Learn from the Past – Jiale Chen, Yixuan Yiang [China]
• 70093 – Melody Haven – Manrong Liang, Xiran Chen, Ningxin Zhong, Yahui Xu, Ru Xiong [China]
• 70268 – Blue Horizon Sports Village – Yeonsoo Choi, Soomin Lee [Republic of Korea]
• 70998 – Waves of Transformation: An Ohrid Narrative – Michele De Nicola, Gianluca Chiappini, Francesco Fellini [Italy]
• 71432 – Flowing Lines – Avik Schoenmakers [Netherland]
• 71436 – SYNTHESIS – Ceren Abaci Ulcan, Buket Adiguzel, Melike Guler [Turkey]
• 72562 – SOCIALAKEING – Ennio Giovanni Russo, Giovanni Cassandra, Lorenzo Russo [Italy]

For more information on the winners, please visit the official website.

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