The international Architecture MasterPrize has announced its 2026 laureates, featuring six Ukrainian projects among the winners. The main sensation was the "Space of Absence" memorial, created by architects Dmytro Volyk and Kseniia Donetska. The project received the award in the conceptual architecture category and is dedicated to the 46 people killed in the Russian missile strike on a residential building in Dnipro on January 14, 2023.
A Concept Built on "Absence"
The key idea of the memorial is to reject the conventional logic of restoration. Instead of rebuilding the destroyed part of the building in its original form, the architects preserved its absence as a deliberate compositional element. The metal frame reproduces the silhouette of the lost section of the building, but lacks walls and floors—it is an empty volumetric space where the contrast between the surviving material part of the structure and the "hole" left by the destroyed section conveys a profound sense of loss.
46 Luminous Spheres as Symbols of the Fallen
Suspended inside the metal structure are 46 glass spheres containing light. Each of them symbolizes one of the victims. According to the authors' intent, this exact technique transforms the site of destruction into a space of memory: the glowing spheres inside the empty frame recall human lives cut short by the shelling, making the abstract statistics of casualties tangible for everyone passing by.
Context of the Tragedy
The memorial is installed at the site of the multi-story building at 118 Naberezhna Peremohy in Dnipro, which was hit by a Russian missile strike on January 14, 2023. According to data confirmed by multiple sources, 46 people died as a result of the attack. The "Space of Absence" project became an architectural response to this tragedy and an attempt to preserve the memory of the victims through form, light, and emptiness, rather than a traditional monument.
The Discussion on the Form of Memory
It is worth noting that the question of what the memorial at the site of the destroyed building should look like was long debated by city authorities and local residents. According to dnepr.info, the city council proposed creating a large-scale memorial object, whereas residents advocated for setting up a small memorial zone directly near the damaged building. Ultimately, a project marked by the international jury appeared at the site of the tragedy—a frame structure with suspended luminous spheres.
Other Ukrainian Award Winners
In addition to the memorial, the list of Architecture MasterPrize 2026 laureates includes the reconstruction project of Gogol Street in Dnipro by the same duo of Dmytro Volyk and Kseniia Donetska—a multifunctional urban space with pedestrian zones, bike lanes, and recreation areas. The Hata-Mazanka project by YOD Group also received an award—a modern interpretation of a traditional Ukrainian whitewashed clay house featuring glass facades, natural materials, and straw roofs. Other winners include the MOI restaurant in London's Soho by Yodezeen, the Gunia Project brand showroom in Kyiv by Temp Project, and the interior of the Love by the Moon store by He.D Group.
About the Architecture MasterPrize
The Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) is an international award founded in 2016 by the Farmani Group. Its goal is to draw attention to quality architecture and celebrate innovative solutions in the fields of building design, interiors, and urban environment. The award is open to architects, designers, and studios worldwide, with winners selected by an international jury of architectural professionals, designers, critics, and members of the academic community.
