TEN Work visits Pergamon © TEN Work
Honorary Awards 2026

Creator of the Year 2026: TEN

TEN receives the distinction Creator of the Year 2026 from the ICONIC AWARDS. The Serbian-Swiss collective brings together architecture, design and research with a strong commitment to public issues and the built environment.

One Studio, Many Perspectives

TEN works as an interdisciplinary collective at the intersection of architecture, design and research. In 2019, the group developed from an association into an independent studio for architecture, design and research.

Today, TEN comprises around 20 members. Its two offices in Belgrade and Zurich are complemented by international places of work, including Greece, Nepal and the United States. At the centre of TEN’s work is a shared commitment to public issues and open research into the built environment.

Working Like a Record Label

TEN describes itself as a kind of record label. For each project, the studio forms new independent working groups that bring together different areas of expertise. This approach enables TEN to respond to each project with a specific combination of knowledge, energy and expertise.

The collective:

  • designs buildings and spatial concepts,
  • develops workshops and research formats,
  • writes texts and gives talks,
  • participates in architecture competitions,
  • contributes to exhibitions and cultural interventions.

Architecture as a Public Practice

TEN’s projects include “The Gymnasium of the Future” in Prishtina. The experimental educational building explores new forms of collective learning and the use of public space.

For the “Belgrade Urban Incubator” in Serbia, TEN developed temporary architectural and cultural interventions for the urban environment.

A Home for Five Women

Another project highlighted by the jury is “House for Five Women” in Gradačac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Completed in 2025, the house was realised together with further partners for five single women who are socially disadvantaged and have experienced violence or war.

Behind its colourful façade, the house includes:

  • five individual rooms,
  • shared living areas,
  • spaces for craftwork,
  • gardens and outdoor areas.

The Jury Recognises an Interdisciplinary Approach

TEN convinced the jury of the ICONIC AWARDS 2026 with its ability to form new working groups for each project and bring together different areas of expertise. This enables the collective to respond to each architectural, social and cultural question with a specific combination of knowledge, energy and experience.

TEN’s research-based and inclusive approach is particularly compelling. TEN understands architecture not as an isolated discipline, but as an open public practice that addresses social questions and translates them into concrete spatial, cultural and social processes.

“The world needs more collectives like TEN.”
– Jury of the ICONIC AWARDS 2026

With the Creator of the Year 2026 award, the jury therefore recognises more than individual projects. It honours a distinctive way of working and a position that combines architecture, research, cultural intervention and social responsibility in a contemporary practice.

Research at ETH Zurich

In the 2026/27 academic year, TEN will lead a chair in design and research at the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich. This appointment continues the collective’s work at the intersection of architecture, research and social responsibility in an academic context.

Key Facts

  • Award: Creator of the Year 2026
  • Recipient: TEN
  • Profile: architecture, design and research
  • Members: around 20
  • Locations: Belgrade and Zurich
  • Highlighted projects: “The Gymnasium of the Future”, “Belgrade Urban Incubator” and “House for Five Women”
  • Further activity: leading a chair in design and research at ETH Zurich in the 2026/27 academic year
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