Fifteen designs shortlisted in Dezeen and Bentley's Radical Renewal Competition
Fifteen innovative designs have been shortlisted for Dezeen and Bentley's Radical Renewal Competition, which sought bold proposals to revitalise historic buildings while preserving their heritage.
The competition coincided with the unveiling of Bentley's new Design Centre, which opened in July this year in an art deco building originally constructed in 1938 as a reception hub for Bentley's factory in Crewe, United Kingdom.
In line with this, the competition tasked participants with selecting a building of historical significance – whether an iconic landmark, a celebrated local structure or an overlooked building in need of revival – and proposing a forward-thinking design transformation to rejuvenate it.
Fifteen designs have now been shortlisted and are in the running for a share of the £30,000 prize pot. The winners will be revealed later this month.
The winner will receive a top prize of £15,000, while the runner-up will receive £10,000 and the third-placed entrant will receive £5,000.
The shortlisted entries are listed below in the order that they were submitted.
Water Tower to Public Library by Khoa Tran Huu
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Architect Khoa Tran Huu proposed repurposing Ho Chi Minh City's 1960s-70s water towers as community libraries for dense, low-income neighbourhoods.
The concrete structures, originally built to supply water, are retained and fitted with reading rooms, classrooms and public gathering spaces.
The tanks are reused as rainwater reservoirs, helping to reduce runoff and flooding, while balconies planted with greenery improve the local microclimate.
By combining education and resilience, the scheme turns obsolete infrastructure into civic landmarks that address both social and environmental needs.
"A community library would become a gathering place for everyone, where they can access new knowledge," Tran Huu said.
"These towers are located in low-income neighbourhoods with high population density and low literacy rates," they continued. "Instead of demolishing these structures, transforming them into community libraries would serve the reading and learning needs of local residents, becoming a gathering place for everyone."
BridgeVita by Binghao Yao
Los Angeles, USA
Designer Binghao Yao proposed BridgeVita, a scheme that transforms the Manhattan Bridge into agro-infrastructure that strengthens New York City's food resilience.
The design envisions adding a rectilinear structure that preserves the iconic suspension silhouette while introducing space for cultivation, processing and distribution of crops. Two truss lines span between the bridge towers and riverbank podiums, lifting the full agricultural chain above the roadway.
The centre of the bridge becomes a linear park, with cores connecting ground level, planting decks and new community spaces. A subway station would enable residents to access fresh produce directly, while dedicated "Food Line" metro cars distribute harvests across the city.
A system of modular planting units adapts to different crops, creating varied patterns on the bridge elevation and maximising efficiency. By embedding agriculture within a vital piece of infrastructure, the project makes food production a visible and accessible part of daily urban life.
BridgeVita brings the daily circulation of the public closer to agricultural activities, allowing people to see more directly where their food comes from," Yao said. "It also provides the quickest way for agricultural products to enter the city and on to the table."
Hacking Robin Hood Garden by Ryan Tung
Hong Kong
Ryan Tung developed Hacking Robin Hood Garden, a project that explores gamification as a tool for community-led transformation of social housing.
Taking inspiration from Alison and Peter Smithson's demolished Robin Hood Gardens estate, the project investigates how its original "streets in the sky" concept could be reinterpreted. Salvaged materials and social memories are reimagined as game pieces, each representing potential extensions, programmes or spatial changes.
Through a collaborative board game, residents are invited to collectively redesign their environment. The system introduces new rules, modular interventions and revised circulation patterns that challenge the traditional top-down model of housing renewal.
By reframing design as play, the proposal turns architectural change into a participatory process. The outcome is not a fixed plan, but an evolving framework shaped by those who live there, reclaiming the social ambition of the original project.
"This project functions as a testbed for using play as a serious design mechanism," Tung said.
"By allowing participants to 'hack' the rules, the game becomes a flexible planning tool and challenges traditional top-down models, reframing gaming as a platform for co-creating architecture."
Hoosac Stores (+1) Recycling and Repair Center by Raymond Lapiejko
Boston, USA
Architect Raymond Lapiejko proposed transforming the 1895 Hoosac Stores building at Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard into a recycling and repair centre through a process of "self-spoliation."
Instead of demolition, the scheme catalogues the building's iron columns, steel beams, timber joists and brickwork, reintegrating them into new assemblies.
Materials retain or adapt their functions – steel and timber remain structural, while brick is reimagined as a responsive facade system.
This component-based approach allows the structure to evolve over time, supporting new programmes such as a salvage market, workshops and artist spaces. By embedding flexibility and reversibility, the project demonstrates how heritage can be preserved through transformation rather than stasis.
"Architecture is framed not as a completed object, but as an evolving platform that resists obsolescence," Lapiejko said.
Grainhouse Arts Terminal by Sam Mcheileh and Marcus Myles
New York City, USA and Dundee, Scotland
Designers Sam Mcheileh and Marcus Myles proposed Grainhouse Arts Terminal, a radical reuse of the 1922 Red Hook Grain Terminal in Brooklyn, reimagining it as a cultural engine and climate-resilient landmark.
The project preserves the exterior silhouette of the 54 cylindrical silos while surgically carving their interiors to create 120,000 square feet of flexible space.
Maker workshops, exhibition lofts, cafes and a 1,400-seat performance hall occupy the carved volumes, while new rooftop additions house a greenhouse restaurant and daylight-flooded office spaces overlooking Manhattan.
Generative algorithms guide the precise cuts, retaining structural integrity while maximising usable space. Prefabricated CLT modules slide through roof hatches to minimise waste and passive stack ventilation uses the silos' chimney effect to naturally regulate climate.
"Grainhouse Arts Terminal weaves innovation, heritage and sustainability into one vision, transforming an industrial relic into an emblem of New York's regenerative future," the designers said.
Between Skin and Bone by Zixuan Luo
Chicago, USA
Zixuan Luo proposed a radical transformation of the landmark Richard J Daley Center that preserves its exterior while reimagining its interior as a layered civic and environmental infrastructure.
The design inserts a rotated structural grid inside the original steel frame, creating wedge-shaped voids between the preserved curtain wall and the new core. These double-height spaces act as thermal buffers, insulating in winter and ventilating in summer, while also serving as thresholds that invite public use.
Within this framework, surplus space is repurposed for housing, co-working, a public library and exhibition areas.
The varied air chambers become terraces and atria, subtly renewing the building's appearance without altering its facade.
"By densifying the interior and diversifying its functions, the project resists the binary of preservation versus demolition," said Luo. "Instead, it proposes a third path: architectural reuse that honours heritage while unlocking latent possibilities."
Rapid Conservation by Isabella Hicks
Chichester, UK
Isabella Hicks developed Rapid Conservation, a strategy to retrofit Britain's terraced houses while working within strict conservation frameworks.
The proposal introduces a self-supporting timber envelope that forms a thermal buffer around existing facades. Prefabricated portal frames and translucent GRP panels create a passive climate zone that stabilises indoor temperatures while preserving the historic streetscape.
To maintain heritage continuity, screen-printed panels can echo original Georgian details, while windows removed for access are carefully catalogued and stored for future reinstatement.
The extra space between old and new also allows for lifts, expanded apartments and communal functions such as laundrettes and cafes.
The system is designed to be rapid, replicable and minimally invasive, helping families upgrade energy performance without lengthy planning delays.
"Rapid Conservation explores our immediate need to retrofit our existing housing stock, due to its poor thermal performance and looks at current conservation policies to formulate a way of alleviating the lengthy planning process associated with historic retrofits," said Hicks.
RAW Potsdam Innovation Lab by J Mayer H und Partner Architekten
Berlin, Germany
Berlin-based studio J Mayer H und Partner Architekten proposed RAW Potsdam, an innovation campus that restores a disused railway hall while introducing new buildings for education, research and culture.
The design preserves the historic 1912 and 1934 structures, removing later additions and repairing original steelwork and facades.
Two triangular new buildings frame the ensemble, housing co-working spaces, sports facilities, food services and a local market. Inside the old halls, universities, research labs and cultural programmes create a public hub for exhibitions and events.
Prefabricated timber modules, green roofs and photovoltaic glazing reduce environmental impact, embedding sustainability within the historic fabric.
"This smart building campus highlights the economic viability and compatibility of Potsdam and Brandenburg state within an international context," the architect said.
Architecture for the Omnicrisis: The Citizens' Assembly by Aaron J Smith
Manchester, UK
Aaron J Smith proposed reusing Western Mill 3 in Wigan as the UK's first permanent Citizens' Assembly, creating a civic campus where democratic participation is embedded in a historic industrial structure.
The four-storey cotton mill, built in 1900, is adaptively reused to house assembly chambers, breakout spaces and public areas. Lightwells are carved into the deep floor plates to introduce natural light, while roof terraces extend gathering spaces outdoors.
Detachable steel-mesh partitions form flexible discussion clusters that can be reconfigured to suit changing programmes.
Low-carbon extensions provide a lecture theatre, library and gallery, while the grand tiled engine hall is retained as a dramatic entrance.
By combining heritage preservation with participatory democracy, the project positions industrial reuse as a tool for civic renewal.
"Citizens' Assemblies are the shot in the arm our democracy needs, where participation of the citizenry is fundamental," Smith said.
Pedal-to-Paddle by Xytopia Architects (Xinyi Wang, Qingyang Liu, Bo Hao Zhao)
Sydney, Australia
Xytopia Architects reimagined Amsterdam's retired Fietsflat bike garage as a circular story of reuse, collective memory and public space.
The proposal unfolds in three stages. First, before dismantling, the decks reopen as an "Active Archive," hosting yoga, performances and cultural events while greenery grows through its steel frame.
Next, as the structure is deconstructed, ramps and railings are redistributed across the city as kiosks, pavilions and viewing decks, each fragment carrying QR codes linking back to the original.
Finally, the cleared waterfront becomes a public commons with rain gardens, seating and seasonal installations, framing emptiness as an invitation rather than a loss.
By giving the structure multiple lives, the project demonstrates how temporary architecture can generate lasting cultural value.
"Reuse is storytelling – granting Fietsflat three intertwined lives turns demolition into circular choreography," the studio said. "Heritage is honoured by amplifying collective memory, while progression arrives through programmes tuned to health, culture and climate."
The Phoenix Rebirth by Yun Wan
Seaford, UK
Designer Yun Wan proposed The Phoenix Rebirth, a transformation of the derelict Phoenix Ironworks in Lewes into a makerspace built entirely from its own salvaged materials.
The project catalogues and repurposes the site's steel columns and trusses into a repeating structural grid, forming a flexible, open hall.
Roof frames are adapted into a new modular canopy, creating the framework for an expandable system of workspaces and studios. Elevated pavilions sit above contaminated ground, allowing the land below to undergo bioremediation while the community uses the new building.
Workshops, events and artisan spaces activate the structure, continuing the town's legacy of craft and industry.
By demonstrating how industrial remains can be reassembled into a resource-efficient hub, the project positions circular economy principles at the centre of regeneration.
"By turning salvaged materials into a celebrated public asset, Phoenix Reforge provides a replicable model for how our cities can build responsibly, revitalise post-industrial landscapes and positively contribute to both the environment and the local community," Wan said.
Power Pass Power by Temitope Akinsiku, Victor Igene and Emmanuel Etim
Toronto, Canada
Temitope Akinsiku, Victor Igene and Emmanuel Etim proposed transforming Lagos' 1923 Ijora Power Station into a cultural powerhouse for Nigeria's creative industries, uniting adaptive reuse with community development.
The scheme restores the vast industrial shell while inserting flexible spaces for exhibitions, studios and training.
A cantilevered extension adds shaded semi-outdoor areas, while future phases envision soundstages, theatres and museums that expand the site's reach.
Drawing inspiration from Lagos's informal sector, the design introduces adaptable, communal zones that mirror the city's vibrant markets and social spaces.
Renewable energy systems, including solar roofing and kinetic flooring, reduce environmental impact and underline the theme of creative power.
By situating the arts within a former energy facility, the project reframes cultural production as a vital urban force.
"Power Pass Power recognises the city's electric creativity as a significant form of power in itself that symbolically occupies a former power station juxtaposed in an energy district," the designers said. "Here, this power restores the station and transforms the neighborhood to foster a vibrant creative community, boost economic development and create jobs."
New Ground: Recontextualising Kagawa Prefecture Gymnasium by Ethan Poh
New York City, USA
Architect Ethan Poh proposed reprogramming Kenzo Tange's 1964 Kagawa Prefecture Gymnasium, which faces demolition, into a regional food and cultural hub.
The scheme lifts the building onto a new datum, creating a floating effect surrounded by offices and public terraces.
Inside, the gym is converted into a food hall, with its exposed structural grid adapted into stalls that showcase produce from the Seto Inland Sea.
A prefabricated CLT framework extends outward, bridging roads and tying the complex into its urban context. The modular system generates a flexible field of gathering spaces that can adapt to evolving needs.
"The gymnasium becomes both a visual and economic symbol of the region, attracting tourism and business alike," Poh said.
"Utilising ideas of metabolism, the gymnasium is contextualised within a set of architectural ideas that situate the Tange building within its place in architectural history and urban context."
Radical Imperfection by Szymon Misiak and Jakub Miśniakiewicz
Krakow, Poland
Architects Szymon Misiak and Jakub Miśniakiewicz proposed Radical Imperfection, a revival of Krakow's Brutalist Hotel Forum that preserves its raw monumentality while enabling open civic use.
Rather than adding layers, the design subtracts, cutting lightwells and circulation routes to introduce light and flexibility. Existing cracks and patina are preserved as authentic traces of time, while new interventions are deliberately minimal and fully reversible.
The flexible framework accommodates galleries, workshops and cultural events, supported by a landscaped riverfront park and discreet energy upgrades such as perovskite-coated glazing.
The project treats brutalism not as an obstacle but as a voice to be reinterpreted, making heritage a foundation for new civic life.
"We honour the Forum's material presence by letting its imperfections shape a new architectural narrative," the designers said.
Vivarium: A Place Where Life Grows by Ludovica Frau
Padua, Italy
Designer Ludovica Frau proposed Vivarium, a transformation of an underused Canary Wharf office tower into a hybrid ecosystem where nature and people grow together.
Two vertical cores are hollowed into shafts of wild and edible planting, with a ramp weaving through them to connect visitors with greenery.
At ground level, a restaurant anchors the scheme, serving seasonal plant-based dishes cultivated on-site, supported by kitchens and workshops above.
A new greenhouse facade maximises daylight and natural ventilation, while the rooftop becomes a public garden offering views across London.
The design balances structural reuse with environmental performance, creating a new model for adaptive reuse in financial districts.
"Vivarium transforms a symbol of corporate vacancy into a place of nourishment and renewal," Frau said.
Partnership content
The Radical Renewal Competition is a partnership between Dezeen and Bentley. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
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