237: Is demolition the biggest mistake in architecture?

Written By Marcin Wojciech Żebrowski

I’m joined by Anne-Marie Galmstrup, architect and Obel Award jury member, and Enlai Hooi, Head of Innovation at Schmidt Hammer Lassen and part of House Europe. They share a visionary yet practical take on how retrofitting, not tearing down, can reshape Europe’s urban future. We dive into how renovation can preserve communities, fight speculation, and tackle the climate crisis.

We discuss the HouseEurope! initiative that was awarded the prestigious OBEL Award this year.

We talk about:

  • Why retrofit is more valuable than new builds

  • How to prevent speculation from destroying neighborhoods

  • The concept of “embodied culture” in architecture

  • Turning policy and ideas into real-world action

 
Marcin Wojciech Żebrowski
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