The awards showcase outstanding contributions to architecture as an art form. The Worldwide St Petersburg Club has opened the call for entries for the 8th International Golden Trezzini Awards for Architecture and Design. This year, the number of main categories has increased to 23, as announced by Pavel Chernyakov, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, at a press conference held at the TASS St. Petersburg Press Center.
The Golden Trezzini Awards stand as the world's only architectural and design competition where winning projects are recognized as museum-worthy and become part of a state museum collection.
Mikhail Piotrovsky, President of the Worldwide St Petersburg Club, General Director of the State Hermitage Museum, and Chairman of the Golden Trezzini International Council, called the award “one of the remarkable achievements of St. Petersburg's culture,” noting that in recent years, “the competition has gone through such trials that many cultural institutions have not survived.”
“Golden Trezzini is our contribution, our distinctive feature, and a competitive advantage of our city. It is one of those events that should be known to as many people as possible. It instills a sense of healthy optimism even in those who have nothing to do with architecture,” emphasized Mikhail Piotrovsky.
‘This year, Golden Trezzini offers entrants 23 main categories. They cover a wide range of architectural creativity—from design, construction, restoration, and reconstruction to exhibition design, set design, public and residential interior design, student works, volumetric arts, and architectural ceramics,” said Pavel Chernyakov, Chairman of the Award Organizing Committee.
In addition to the main prizes—gilded Domenico Trezzini statuettes—special awards are presented at the ceremony. Among them the Ceramic Trezzini Prize (for the best project using ceramics), the Lazar Khidekel Prize (for innovations in architecture and art), and the People’s Choice Award, determined by visitors to the Golden Trezzini website.
Three new categories have been introduced this year: “Best Architectural Project in Hand-Drawn Graphics,” “Best Restoration or Reconstruction Project by Student”, and “Best Implemented Project for Adaptation of a Cultural Heritage Site.’ The latter category was established with the support of the Committee for State Control, Use, and Protection of Historical and Cultural Landmarks of St. Petersburg (KGIOP).
“It is a St. Petersburg tradition to ensure that cultural heritage sites are adapted [for modern use] in a way that is both convenient and aesthetically pleasing, creative, while still preserving the sense that we are inside a historic monument. These principles, I believe, are fundamental in introducing this new category,” noted Alexey Mikhailov, Chairman of the Committee and a member of the Golden Trezzini International Council.
Vladimir Grigoriev, General Director of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg and a member of the Golden Trezzini International Council, spoke about the unique collection of architectural graphics housed at his museum, which is the Award’s general museum partner. Winning projects are added to the museum’s collection and are showcased annually in the exhibition “Architecture as Art” at the Peter and Paul Fortress. This initiative reinforces St. Petersburg’s status as an international center for the study and museum preservation of architectural masterpieces, including many unrealized or “unfulfilled” projects.
Pavel Chernyakov provided some facts and figures from the history of the Golden Trezzini Awards. Last year, the competition received more than 1,300 entries from 55 countries. Since its inception in 2018, over 5,100 projects from 113 countries have competed for awards. The winners of 2018–2024 included projects from 29 countries. Today, the Awards' jury consists of over 200 experts from 35 countries, including renowned architects, restorers, designers, professionals in science, culture, education, business, and public administration, as well as heads of diplomatic and consular missions from eight countries.
The call for entries for the 8th Golden Trezzini Awards is open from February 17 to September 17 on the official website: https://www.goldtrezzini.ru. Participation is free of charge. The winners’ award ceremony will take place on November 21, 2025, at the State Hermitage Museum.
The Award is named after Domenico Trezzini (1670–1734), the first architect of St. Petersburg and the creator of the Peter and Paul Cathedral and other masterpieces of Petrine Baroque. Its mission is to preserve and museumify the most artistically valuable projects in architectural creativity.
Photo by Elik Yafarov
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