08/09/2026
How do we transform urban scars into vibrant places for collective life? 🏙️
A 2020 winner in the Collective Places category, Can Sau - Emergency Scenery in Olot (Spain) by unparelld'arquitectes (Guillem Moliner Milhau), transforms a vacant plot left by street demolition into a porous, arched outdoor room that acts as a scenographic backdrop for public life.
Centered around three hollow-brick vaults and four niches built directly against an exposed party wall, the project connects the street to the adjacent church through an open, stepped framework designed for spontaneous community use.
Rather than acting as a static urban fill, the site embraces adaptive reinterpretation with relentless optimism. It creates an environment in flux where simple, everyday encounters are turned into rituals, offering a tribute to the essence of Olot's local heritage: street life, artisanal craft, and shared civic memory.
The accompanying video by Martí Pellicer and unparelld'arquitectes captures how the structural rhythm and integrated visual artwork by Q**m Domene foster intimacy, warmth, and a deep connection to both history and city life.
🔗 Architects, multidisciplinary teams, and citizens have until 14 September to nominate projects at simonprize.org
Simon Electric Fundació Mies van der Rohe