The Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial #4 competition 1st prize winner - Juan Gonzalez Blanco

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 1st prize winner of our "The Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial #4" competition – Juan Gonzalez Blanco from Spain!

Juan Gonzalez Blanco

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'm a Spanish architect graduated by the School of Architecture of Toledo. I'm currently living and working as an architect for an office in Germany. In my free time, I like to develop my thougths and explore my creativity by joinning ideas competitions oriented to young architects, trying to lead ways in my professional career. In 2023 I had the pleasure to be selected to participate in the international competition and workshop for the fifth edition of "Premio Félix Candela. Hombre de Maíz" and receive the 1st Prize Ex-aequo with the project "Queñual". In my professional career I've participate in multiple competitions and project designs in different scales at international level.

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?

In the office where I work I'm part of the competition team. I mainly participate in architecture competitions for buildings in Germany and in other countries, including typologies of different scales like residential, schools, office buildings, congress centres, museums, opera house, etc.

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

In the uncertain times where we are living, in which humans have to face threats to our species like ecological collapse, climate change, wars, pandemics, energy crisis and social inequality, architecture has to play an environmental, inclusive and social role to mitigate changes and to improve the life on Earth. I feel that in our society there is a big disconnection problem between nature and ourselves that technology alone is not able to solve. In this sense, architecture can be a mean to renaturalise our societies and to create spaces that can bring happiness to the people and other creatures.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Architectural competitions are an open field for sharing ideas and rethinking, with an optimistic view, the future in which we want to live. Every competition is like a celebration—a new opportunity to learn and challenge your own ideas alongside other architects.

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

I would like to encourage every architect who has time and motivation to develop their own ideas by joining competitions. They offer a lot of freedom to make statements that allow architects to express themselves with total liberty with very creative topics. It's great to take part in them with other talented and creative architects who share the same concerns, but they can surprise you with a multiplicity of different and incredible answers.