Jake Weisbrod, a student at Chalmers University of Technology, has won Nordbygg’s architecture competition New Perspectives on Glass. His entry, “Layers of Silent Stories”, impressed the jury, who highlighted its poetic expression and consistently well-developed design. The pavilion is now being constructed in the entrance hall of Stockholmsmässan ahead of Nordbygg 2026.
– The purpose of the competition is to promote knowledge among Sweden’s architecture students about different types of materials, their versatility, possibilities and challenges. What makes Nordbygg’s competition especially valuable is that students get to participate in the construction process and see their project come to life at full scale, 1:1, in collaboration with skilled craftspeople and material experts, says competition secretary Tove Dumon Wallsten from Swedish Association of Architects.
A unanimous jury consisting of industry representatives and glass specialists selected “Layers of Silent Stories”, created by Jake Weisbrod, a student at Chalmers University of Technology, School of Architecture, as this year’s winner.
From the jury’s statement:
A poetic and consistently well-developed contribution in which the history of glass and its circular potential are given a strong architectural expression, through a new kind of strategy where the materials are separated and assembled in an innovative way, uniquely suited to the meeting place at Nordbygg.
The pavilion, designed to serve as a focal point, stage and meeting space, is created through suspended glass forming overlapping layers that change with daylight and movement.
– The proposal is exceptionally well thought through at every stage. We were drawn to the design and to the fact that the reuse is not hidden; instead, variations and imperfections in the glass are highlighted and become part of the circular narrative, says Melinda Lemke, Project Manager at Glasbranschföreningen and jury member of New Perspectives on Glass.
Circular thinking
Winner Jake Weisbrod is 25 years old and lives in Gothenburg, but was born and raised in Canada. He has ties to Sweden through his mother and also has a background as a football player for IFK Göteborg.
– Winning and seeing the project become reality feels fantastic. It has involved a lot of work, but it has also been incredibly inspiring and rewarding to watch everything take shape in close collaboration with everyone involved, says Jake Weisbrod.
Thoughtful design
This is the first year that reused material has been a requirement in the competition.
Working with reclaimed glass posed a significant challenge. Every piece had to be measured, adapted and assembled into a functional whole, but that is also what has given the work its distinctive character.
– During the process, an idea emerged to work without concealing the material. Instead of framing or “packaging” the glass, I chose to present it in its raw form, which led to the suspended structure. Material reuse is the future, and the goal has been to create as little waste as possible, says Jake Weisbrod
Experience “Layers of Silent Stories” in the entrance hall of Stockholmsmässan during Nordbygg, 21–24 April. After the fair, all materials can easily be dismantled and reused once again.
The jury for this year’s edition consists of Lina Hann, Project Director Stockholmsmässan/Nordbygg; Melinda Lemke, Glasbranschföreningen; Fredrik Hall Johansson, Glascentrum; Jonas Eriksson, Ryds Glas; and Kalle Dinell, Architect SAR/MSA. Tove Dumon Wallsten, Swedish Association of Architects, served as the jury’s secretary. secretary.
Fact: New prespective on glass
The “New Perspectives on” competition for architecture students at universities across Sweden takes place every other year. It is a collaboration between Nordbygg and several of the industry’s leading organisations, with support from the Swedish Association of Architects, and aims to highlight a specific building material. The task is to create a meeting space with a stage and an eye-catching focal point in the entrance hall of Stockholmsmässan during Nordbygg 2026, taking place 21–24 April.
Osby Glas has sponsored the competition with reclaimed glass, SAPA has contributed profiles made from 100 percent recycled aluminium, and Ryds Glas has supported the design process with expertise, time and commitment. Centrum för cirkulärt byggande, CCBuild, has provided a dedicated product bank for the competition.
View all competition entries
Explore the submitted proposals in the architecture competition and discover the ideas, materials and visions behind this year’s entries.
About – New Perspectives on Glass
The competition is open to architecture students at Swedish universities and colleges. The task is to create a meeting space with a stage that showcases glass’s potential aesthetically and practically, as well as in reuse and circular design.