The winners of the WinDesign international competition have been announced following an award ceremony at the MAXXI museum in Rome. The competition focused on new wind turbine concepts that combine design, technical and economic feasibility, innovation and sustainability. More than 500 entries from over 60 countries were submitted.
The competition was conducted in two phases. The first phase required the design of a three-bladed horizontal-axis wind turbine with a power output of 5–6 MW that met industry technical standards. In the second phase, shortlisted participants developed both an enhanced version of their initial concept and an additional scalable concept for utility-scale electricity production.
Main prize winners
First prize
Powering the Future by Mario Cucinella Architects in collaboration with Robert Bird Group.
The concept transforms the tower base into a terraced public garden and introduces retractable sails that alter the turbine’s configuration.
Second prize
WindBioma + WindBloom by Hope Engineering.
WindBioma adapts an existing turbine into a bio-integrated structure with educational functions, while WindBloom is a vertical-axis turbine with biomimetic features, sensors and flexible membranes.
Third prize
LA3 + Aria by TECTOO and Buromilan.
LA3 proposes a tower with innovative surfaces and lighting, while Aria is an aerostatic wind platform operating at an altitude of around 300 m.
Special category awards
Innovation and Sustainability: Ecospire + Ecoline by Etesias and Rithema, using 3D printing and biomimetic concrete structures.
Technical-Economic Feasibility: Horizon + Sylva by Studio O’Sullivan, combining visual impact reduction with vertical-axis turbine concepts.
Design: Aeris + Bloom by Queena Le, featuring turbine coatings and flower-shaped turbine forms.
Around 40 wind turbine prototypes were presented in a temporary exhibition at the MAXXI museum, illustrating approaches to integrating wind energy infrastructure into landscapes while maintaining efficiency and industrial feasibility.
