Nominator: Melania Dulămea

Nominator's statement

Vlad Nicolescu graduated from UAUIM Bucharest in 2022. His formation, enriched by studies at ULHT Lisbon, reflects a sustained commitment to building a solid education grounded in a rigorous, culturally informed, and critically engaged thinking.
Extensive collaborations with Romanian and international practices, culminating in an internship at Miralles Tagliabue EMBT in Barcelona, marked a decisive stage of professional maturation and reinforced his dedication to both architectural practice and research.

His diploma project, Ateneu de Lisboa, which received third prize in the Best Diploma Projects competition, initiated a line of theoretical inquiry expanded through his doctoral studies. His research examines architectural programs and their capacity to remain culturally and symbolically relevant within contemporary contexts. This work has led to publications in national and international journals. Vlad currently integrates architectural practice with academic involvement as a teaching assistant, synthesizing his academic excellence, research depth, and practical experience. His dedication, sensitivity, and integrity distinguish him as an outstanding young architect whose qualities are essential to the future of the profession.

THE LIYUAN ART MUSEUM PROJECT, EMBT-ARCHITECTS

During my architecture studies, the experience as an intern at Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects proved truly transformative for the unique chance to experiment with new methods of design.
Placed next to the building representing the phase one of the architectural complex, designed by the architect Cui Kai in Beijing, which resides in the Chinese character for beauty, “气”“美” mei, the intervention comes as an explanation of beauty, bringing to light its fundaments, chi.
As opposed to the Western art, in which the movements are large, impulsive, the Chinese art involves a sort of equilibrium of expression, the chi, the vital force of any living soul.
We chose the component of the ground in the chi character, the fields representing the people, the origins, the strong roots of Han Meilin art in the ancient forms of artistic expression, calligraphy, crafts.  The halls are placed on the site as the clay jugs, becoming an own element in the volume of the museum.

(Courtesy of Miralles Tagliabue – EMBT Architects for archive materials)
ATENEU DE LISBOA

My diploma project aims to revitalize a cultural benchmark building in the city of Lisbon, called Commercial Athenaeum. The theoretical investigations that accompanied the design exercise, focused on capturing the meaning of this architectural program, resulted in a set of rather metaphorical features derived from the analysis of its historical evolution.
To build its expressiveness, a formal repertoire strongly influenced by recent personal experiences was adopted, capable of faithfully reproducing the poetic character behind this type of building.
Subsequently, theoretical concerns for the cultural foundations behind architectural programs were deepened in a cycle of doctoral studies, applied to the particular case of the Athenaeum.

PAJUREI 3, K-BOX CONSTRUCTION DESIGN

Located near the city centre of Bucharest, the residential complex aims to provide a richer living experience through the quality of its common spaces, beyond the variety and the high standard of each individual unit. The main objective pursued was to create the premises of a small community, supported by the various related functions, both exterior and interior, conceived and designed for this purpose.
The rigor of the spatial configuration represents a distinct feature of this project, the modulation of
which also defines the variety of apartments through a game of proportion and arrangement.
The structural concept follows the same clarity and spatial distribution, its expressiveness being easily
perceived in the early stages of construction.

(Courtesy of K-Box Construction Design for archive materials)