Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8 – Tharwa Sea Front Site – 2nd Prize Winner: Pouria Babakhani

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 2nd prize winner of our Mujassam Watan Urban Sculpture Challenge #8 competition – Pouria Babakhani from Germany!

Pouria Babakhani from Germany

Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.

I run an independent architectural practice based in Hamburg, Germany. My background combines architectural education in Iran and Italy, including a master's degree from Politecnico di Milano, with more than a decade of professional experience in leading German architecture offices as a senior architect and project leader. My practice brings together architectural design, concept development and design research. My approach combines practical experience with an artistic and visionary interest in form, atmosphere and the experience of space.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been Involved?

My professional experience spans large-scale architectural projects, high-rise buildings, mixed-use complexes, residential and office architecture, interiors and international competitions. Across my career in established offices and through my own practice, I have worked on concept and design development, project leadership and the coordination of complex architectural projects. My work also includes commissioned conceptual and visionary projects exploring the future of architecture and design. Through design research and visual storytelling, I investigate futuristic forms and new possibilities for spatial experience.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

For me, architecture is the physical body of human life. Together with urban design, it gives a human dimension to the natural environment and creates the settings in which we live, meet and form memories. People bring life to these places, while the places themselves shape how that life unfolds. Buildings are often large, enduring presences. They can remain in a place for decades or centuries, and people encounter them every day, often without choosing to do so. This makes architecture a powerful cultural language, with an influence that reaches far beyond function. It can shape how we see the world, enrich our imagination and deepen our experience of life. The architect's responsibility is to approach that lasting influence with care, creating places that bring usefulness, beauty and meaning to our shared environment.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Competitions create room for freedom and experimentation. They allow me to test new technologies, explore unfamiliar design methods and develop ideas that everyday practice may leave little space for. They also help me understand where I stand as an architect: what I do well, where I need to improve and which direction I want to take next. Recognition matters, but the process itself can sharpen my judgement and reveal assumptions I need to question. When the results are published, I am also curious to see how others have understood the same brief. Their proposals can reveal an unexpected reading of the problem and open up possibilities I would not have discovered on my own.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?