The art of sustainable beauty

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From the simplest weather shelter, through the grandeur of castles, to  soaring neo-futurist skyscrapers, architecture has always been a marker of human progress. Since the Neolithic era, the spaces we build define our development, transforming building into an art form – flexible despite its structural rigidity. Architecture has shaped religious beliefs, cultural shifts, and political ambitions.

Over time, architecture has embraced technological breakthroughs and adapted to industrial revolutions, changing as quickly as fashion trends. From the primitive and purely functional, to creating stunning facades and breathtaking interiors, architecture has evolved back to prioritize functionality, influenced by modernists like Le Corbusier, one of the founding fathers of contemporary achitecture and the designers of the UN headquarters. In the 21st century, architecture and urban planning have fully entered a new era of sustainability, a movement currently at its peak.

 

Grand Egyptian Museum Giza, Egypt

 

Building smarter

Since 2015, the Prix Versailles, a UNESCO-supported architectural and design award, has promoted ecological, social, and cultural responsibility among businesses and governments by celebrating commercial architecture. In an interview with Envoy, Secretary-General of the Prix Versailles Jérôme Gouadain reflects on future trends:

“Under the influence of multiple factors, we are headed towards demand for sustainability that is more delicate and sophisticated. Consumers judge things based on more than ecology. They want eco-friendly places that put them in touch with nature. But they also want comfortable places, designed with the user in mind, with attention to every possible detail. As a result, there is very high demand for aesthetics in the broadest sense of the term, encompassing well-being and a connection with the senses. These expectations are relatively new and reflect a deep-seated trend,” observes the Secretary General.

Today, sustainable demands extend beyond “green” to encompass broad economic and socio-cultural dimensions, across all sectors—be it clothing, travel, or investment, transforming into a smarter, more comprehensive approach.

“The pursuit of intelligent sustainability – meaning a combination of ecological, social and cultural issues – is fundamental to today’s construction challenges and is sure to keep architects and builders busy for a long time to come. The United Nations, which was a pioneer in the promotion of a form of sustainable development that incorporates culture, is very well-positioned to encourage this shift and direct it towards the universal values underpinning its actions,” explains Mr. Gouadain.

 

Smritivan Earthquake Museum Bhuj, India

 

Designing the heritage

Initially focused on underappreciated commercial architecture, the Prix Versailles has expanded to recognize areas that play vital roles in the economy and have significant impact on cultural, natural, and social environments. Its “World’s Most Beautiful” awards highlights categories like Sports Venues, Passenger Stations, Campuses, Airports, Emporiums, Restaurants, and Hotels, with winners announced annually at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

In 2024, for its 10th anniversary, the Prix introduced a new category: Museums. “This new category focuses on extraordinary designs that mobilise cultural settings in their role of educating the general public,” emphasizes the head of the organisation.

The first short list for the World’s Most Beautiful Museum comprised of seven newly opened or renovated institutions:

  • A4 Art Museum Chengdu, China
  • Grand Egyptian Museum Giza, Egypt
  • Smritivan Earthquake Museum Bhuj, India
  • Simose Art Museum Otake, Japan
  • Paleis Het Loo Apeldoorn, Netherlands
  • Oman Across Ages Museum Manah, Oman
  • Polish History Museum Warsaw, Poland

 

Simose Art Museum Otake, Japan

 

And the laureates are:

Prix Versailles – Simose Art Museum

Special prize for an Interior – Smritivan Earthquake Museum

Special prize for an Exterior – Oman Across Ages Museum

“By reconnecting us with longer timescales, museums give us perspective that is now more vital than ever. They take us out of a mindset of instant gratification. In this way, their role is intrinsically one of conserving, and therefore sustaining,” says Mr. Gouadain.

 

Paleis Het Loo Apeldoorn, Netherlands

 

Oman Across Ages Museum Manah, Oman

 

The beauty of sustainability

So Beautiful or durable? Beautiful or sustainable? Today, there’s no need to choose. Beauty is integral to intelligent sustainability.

“In reality, the end users of architecture are sensitive to – and even clamour for – beautiful places. Hospitality actors are well aware of this: a hotel’s attractiveness depends in particular on the beauty of the setting. Similarly, the beauty of the context formed by a museum is inherent to its mission. This is why many contemporary museums have made massive investments in iconic architecture. The whole personality of the design spills over onto the appeal of the collections themselves,” Mr. Gouadain shares.

“But the beauty that we’re talking about is a contemporary form of beauty, one that successfully combines innovation, creativity, a reflection of local heritage, ecological efficiency and consideration for human beings. In other words, this beauty has multiple criteria. It speaks to people and charms them, because it achieves all that, all at once,” he adds.

 

Polish History Museum Warsaw, Poland

 

Green footprint

All the “world titles” awarded by the Prix Versailles over the years have highlighted around 30 countries worldwide actively advancing sustainable urban planning and construction. Standouts include the United States, China, Brazil, the UAE, France, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Italy, the UK, and Singapore, with laureates from some 80 countries worldwide.

According to the US Green Building Council’s 2024 rankings, leaders in green design, construction, and operations (outside the US) include China, India, Canada, and Turkiye. The global LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system guides these practices. The organisation is currently developing an updated assessment version that is expected to be released in 2025. Currently, more than 197,000 LEED-certified projects cover more than 29 billion square feet across 186 countries.

 

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