Mexican Team Wins Young Designers Open Call with Repurposed Traffic Mirror Concept

The first edition of the Young Designers Open Call invited emerging designers to propose a concept for a fun and functional summer installation at Prague’s popular outdoor food and culture venue, Manifesto Market. A total of 275 teams from around the world registered to participate. Of those, 57 teams rose to the challenge and submitted their design proposals on time and in accordance with the competition rules.

Ten shortlisted designs were presented to a distinguished international jury on Friday, April 11, 2025, in Prague during a hybrid event, competing for one of three prizes. The jury recognized proposals for their incorporation of circularity, social impact, and architectural and aesthetic quality, ultimately awarding three prizes and one honorable mention.

The independent jury members included Jana Zielinski, Director of Designblok; Ondřej Chybík, Co-founder of the architecture studio Chybik + Krištof and co-author of the design for Manifesto Anděl; Anna Marešová, Founder of Anna Marešová Designers; and Jakub Cigler, Founder of Jakub Cigler Architects, architect and professor of architecture. They were joined by Martin Joseph Barry, Founder and CEO of Manifesto Market and a landscape architect who initiated this call: "Inspired by the Young Architects Program at MoMA PS1, I believe in transforming spaces into lasting experiences. At Manifesto, we're committed to urban transformation, from our first location in Florenc, designed through a student competition, to our new space in Berlin. As we step into our fourth season at Manifesto Anděl, I wanted to offer emerging talent the chance to contribute to a space that benefits the community while blending culture and gastronomy."

Winning concept "Capturing the Sky". Visualizations by Patricia Anagelly San Román Sánchez, Santiago Blanco Olachea, Dino del Cueto Beato

Jana Zielinski—one of the most respected voices in the Czech design scene—announced the winning design. Titled Capturing the Sky, the concept was presented by a three-member team based in Mexico City and New Zealand: Patricia Anagelly San Román Sánchez, Santiago Blanco Olachea, and Dino del Cueto Beato of studio TLAN, all alumni of UNAM.

"Capturing the Sky" uses recycled traffic mirrors from Prague as a viewfinder to the sky. “These mirrors, sourced from the city's storage and repurposed—transformed into a functional element that fosters sustainable interaction. This intervention not only addresses a functional need but also takes on an artistic approach, promoting a sensory interaction between visitors and their surroundings. The space adapts and evolves according to environmental conditions: the weather, rain, wind, and clouds, but also according to social dynamics, such as concerts, workshops, conferences, and the daily activities of the market,” the designers explained. 

2nd Prize: A Living Shade for Manifesto Market. Vizualiations by Mager Architects

The proposal “A Living Shade for Manifesto Market”, designed by Mager Architects from Ethiopia, was awarded second place. Bethelehem Wasihun, Eyoel Getachew, and Kirubel Wasihun created a responsive architectural organism nestled within the vibrant urban fabric of Manifesto Market. “The Living Canopy is a dynamic shade installation that blurs the boundaries between architecture, art, and human interaction. Inspired by the colorful buildings of Prague, this installation breathes life into the public space—a constantly shifting play of light, shadow, and color that transforms throughout the day.”

3rd Prize: UP!. Visualizations by Ekin Cem Tümbek, Jade Frick, Thomas Gonin

The third awarded project, titled UP!, was recognized for its strong community-empowering dimension. It was designed by a three-member team: Ekin Cem Tümbek from Turkey, and Jade Frick and Thomas Gonin from France. UP! presents the concept of a collaborative wardrobe—an expression of a city’s shared memories and a step toward a more sustainable, environmentally conscious future. “What if we let the citizens co-create the identity of our project? Visitors are invited to take part: to bring a garment, exchange it, tag it with a story, or join a workshop to repair and rework old clothes. In doing so, they contribute to the evolving narrative of the space. The installation encourages reflection—on fast fashion, overconsumption, and the memories embedded in the things we wear.”

All jury members unanimously agreed that competitions based on real-life assignments are invaluable for launching a design career and putting theoretical knowledge into practice.

With this in mind, the jury decided to give an honorable mention to the proposal “Sensing Summer” by Julie Chan and Annika Babra of Yale Architecture, based in New York City. “Through a series of microclimates that speak to different landscapes of summer, the project overlays the Manifesto Market’s programmatic and structural grid into a system of shading, cooling, and gathering. Drawing from the ethos of reuse with repurposed scaffolding and shipping containers, the project’s materiality uses tricolor construction nets to evoke unique summerscapes: mountains, lakes, and beaches through coordinated light, sound, and mist,” the fresh graduates explained. 

Honorable Mention. Visualizations by Julie Chan and Annika Babra 

Thanks to a listing on ArchDaily and the word of mouth spread on social media, the inaugural edition of YDOC exceeded the organizers’ expectations—not only in terms of the number of submissions, but also in the global resonance that became especially evident during the final announcement.

“We are active young architects who are trying to promote their ideas to the masses and not to stray from their sometimes difficult but busy path. Participation in the competition is an opportunity for us to show our vision and prove how one small idea of an architect can influence the space as a whole,” the Franco-Turkish team stated. The Ethiopian Mager Architects’ motivation was their “passion for architecture, desire to contribute their skills & knowledge and the great opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals.” Other participants were motivated by curiosity, or wanted to step out of their comfort zone, like the shortlisted lighting and product designer Alexander Barnanov (Wolk Works, Czechia) who came with an idea of a suspended large scale canopy. 

The awarded designs will receive financial prizes of 10,000 CZK (€400), 15,000 CZK (€600), and 60,000 CZK (€2400), respectively, and the inauguration of the winning installation at Manifesto Market Prague is expected during early summer, this year. 

The organization of the open call was led by Radka Ondráčková on behalf of reSITE and coordinated by Lisa Ljubčič. 

Projects shortlisted among 10 finalists included, from left to right, top to the bottom: 

• Jesse Beus (USA) (images 1, 2)
• Alexander Barnanov - Wolk Works (Czechia) (image 3)
• Giorgi Chabalukha, Mariam Gomurashvili - Ambe Architects (Georgia) (image 4)
• Valery Miarkulava, Mikhail Varanko - CIP (Belarus) (image 5, 6)
• Pedro Joaquin, Borja Balseca - Dosb arch | Uti Indoamerica (Ecuador) (image 7)
• Ester Vaňová, Petra Deáková (Czechia) (image 8)