BTU student Mobina Mirzaee wins the ‘Architizer Vision Award 2025’

For her architectural concept ‘Plaza Tehran’, which features a multifunctional, multi-storey high-rise building, she received the prestigious ‘Architizer Vision Award 2025’, which included the publication of her design. Mobina explains how this came about and what her studies at the BTU mean to her. 

According to the jury’s assessment, the project combines structural integrity, spatial clarity and programmatic adaptability. Set against the speculative backdrop of Tehran, the tower would meet the city’s need for multifunctional, transformative Architecture. With its open floor plan, it supports a wide range of uses – from collaborative workspaces to public event areas – and thus reflects a design philosophy that embodies innovation within the urban fabric.

Mobina Mirzaee recalls: “The idea for the project emerged in the final weeks before I moved from Iran to Germany. At that time, I began conducting research and design exercises in Tehran. Whilst preparing for my studies and one of the biggest changes in my life, I found a way to channel tension and emotions into the creative process.”

The design produced at the end of the workshop could have remained merely a design exercise. For Mobina, it was more than that. She decided to develop the project further and took it with her to Germany. Whilst studying at the BTU, it evolved into an independent academic and design project. “On many evenings after lectures, I worked in the university library, where I continued to experiment on my laptop using my software, read, sketched, created digital prototypes and refined the project,” she explains. “The library, designed by the architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, became an inspiring place for me. Its architecture, its atmosphere, the extensive collection of architecture books and the opportunity to work in such an environment played a key role in shaping my thinking and the development of this project.”

What began as a practical exercise in Iran developed during her periods of study at the BTU in Cottbus, through perseverance, curiosity and continuous development, into a comprehensive exploration of building structures, functionalities, forms and technical parameters – culminating in a concept that Mobina Mirzaee submitted in May 2025 for the ‘Architizer Vision Award 2025’ competition. She sums it up: “My project ‘Plaza Tehran’ has shown me that an initial idea, however exciting it may seem, is only the beginning. In design, many possibilities and ideas can arise, and some may seem promising at first, but gradually change, fade away or lead nowhere.”

In addition to the award, ‘Plaza Tehran’ was selected for publication in the print magazine ‘How to Visualise Architecture’ and featured in Architizer’s ‘Visionary 100’. There, she was described as one of the world’s most innovative architectural thinkers. Mobina says: “For me, this recognition means far more than just an academic achievement. It reflects a personal journey of growth, resilience and the experience of having found a new creative home whilst studying in Germany.”

As an architect, it is important to Mobina Mirzaee that theory and practice enrich and reinforce one another. She enjoys working on projects that combine different levels of design, respond to people’s needs and have a positive impact on both the built environment and communities. She has fond memories of her studies at the BTU, in particular the variety of workshop projects – in Cottbus, Stralsund, Berlin, France and elsewhere. “Working on different topics, in different cities and on different scales, challenged me to think from different perspectives. This made every studio project a unique learning experience. It enabled me to broaden my way of thinking as a designer, to gain a deeper understanding and to develop a more holistic perspective on Architecture and urban design.”