Official Partner of the Czech Pavilion, Purposia Group, connects students with world architecture through the Modelium competition
The international student competition Modelium, organized by the construction company HSF System of the Purposia Group, gives high school students from Czechia and Slovakia the opportunity to design original building models from an ecological and sustainable material – corrugated cardboard. The competition topics are often visionary: from a “House on Mars” to a “Floating City” or the “Czech National Library.” This year’s 17th edition attracted 83 teams from 40 different schools, tasked with designing a national pavilion for the World Expo. Twelve of the best teams are now advancing to the finals, culminating in an international superfinal on October 30 at the City Campus of the University of Ostrava.
This year also brings a major innovation – for the very first time, international experts will join the jury. Renowned Japanese architect Yasumasa Hayashi, founder of the ArchTank studio and recipient of the prestigious Good Design Award 2024, will become the first foreign juror in the history of the competition. The jury will also include Stefan Jansch, Country Manager of HSF System AT, opening the door to a possible future expansion of the competition into Austria and strengthening its international profile.
“The participation of Yasumasa Hayashi is one of the concrete results of Purposia Group’s partnership with the Czech Pavilion at the EXPO. Thanks to this, we will be able to give students the chance to confront their projects with the perspective of an architect who brings inspiration from a different cultural and professional tradition,” said Jan Hasík, Chairman of the Board of Purposia Group.
Over its 17 years of existence, the Modelium competition has become a prestigious platform for young construction talents. It offers students not only financial rewards worth more than CZK 100,000 in total, but above all a unique opportunity to meet leading architects who are shaping the direction of modern architecture.
“Projects like Modelium are vital for developing the talent and creativity of the young generation, which represents our future. That is also the vision of EXPO 2025 and the Czech participation in Osaka. Moreover, we aim to foster international cooperation, not only between Czechia and Japan. We are proud to see tangible results from the involvement of our partners, such as this. That is exactly what EXPO is about,” added Ondřej Soška, Czech Commissioner General for EXPO 2025.
