VELUX has announced the regional winners of the international architecture competition Light of Tomorrow 2026. Among the eight winners is a project by a student of the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (NAOMA) from Ukraine.
The student work by Polina Riabtseva, titled Filtered Light, won in the “Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East” region. The academic supervisor was Orest Hirnyi.
The project presents a concept for a children’s library where daylight becomes the main architectural element. At the centre of the building is an open atrium with a circular roof window. Through it, natural light enters vertically and creates the brightest area — a space for active engagement and collaborative learning.
Above the atrium is a radial louvre system. It regulates the intensity and direction of light, transforming direct sunlight into a soft diffused flow. Closer to the centre, there is more light and activity. Closer to the walls, quieter corners are created for reading and focused work. This principle organises the space without physical partitions.
Throughout the day, the shadows cast by the louvres move and create a changing atmosphere. The interior is designed in warm natural tones with light timber — the materials enhance the sense of softness and depth. The louvre system also reduces direct solar exposure and lowers the need for artificial shading.
Light of Tomorrow by VELUX is an international competition for students of architecture schools. In 2026, the competition attracted hundreds of teams from different continents. The jury evaluated the projects based on the quality of architectural thinking, depth of research and excellence of presentation.
In total, the organisers selected eight regional winners. Together, they represent different approaches to the use of daylight in contemporary architecture — from sustainability to comfort and urban transformation.
For Ukraine, this is not the first international recognition in the field of architecture. Earlier, Promprylad Renovation from Ivano-Frankivsk became a winner of the New European Bauhaus Prize.
Photo: VELUX
The Filtered Light design avoids harsh contrasts and the dominance of artificial lighting, contributing to a balanced lighting environment
Student project from Ukraine wins international architecture competition Light of Tomorrow by VELUX 2026
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