7. 5. 2026
Lukáš Klapil
HSF System
Modelium
The search is once again on among secondary school students for a new star of the construction industry. This year, 50 teams from 24 schools in Czechia and 22 teams from 11 schools in Slovakia have entered the international Modelium competition. The theme of the 18th edition is “Building as a Work of Art”. The teams advancing to the national finals in Czechia and Slovakia will be announced by 30 June. The best of them will compete in the international superfinal in the autumn. The competition has long helped popularise construction and the building trades among the younger generation.
The task for students in the international Modelium 2026 competition is to design and create an original model of a building on the theme “Building as a Work of Art”. Each team or individual must come up with their own original design for a civic or residential building, such as a school, library, museum, apartment building, hospital, theatre or hotel. Each contestant was free to choose the type of building according to their preferences, interests or field of study. The design must include a distinctive artistic element, such as a sculpture, installation, collage or new media.
“An important part of the assignment is also an emphasis on innovation and modern construction technologies. The model should be designed so that, if the building were to be realised, it would allow for the best possible use of 3D concrete printing technology, or 3DCP, which we are already successfully deploying in our real-life construction projects in Czechia and Slovakia,” says Tomáš Hess, Sales Director at HSF System.
The competition building must not copy any existing structure and must be made mainly from corrugated cardboard. Young builders may use modern cutting and laser technologies to prepare individual components, but the use of engraving equipment and paints is prohibited. Colour may be added using coloured cardboard, coloured used cardboard packaging or coloured paper. Transparent tracing paper, crepe paper and other paper-based materials are also permitted as supplementary materials.
The building must also show, at least in part, the internal layout of the structure, such as interiors, at the appropriate scale. Internal and external lighting elements with their own power source may be installed in the model. The maximum size of the model is 1 × 1 metre, with a height of up to 1.5 metres. Up to five students may work on one design.
Schools and teachers themselves play a major role in the competition. “Behind all participants in the competition stand inspiring teachers. Throughout the entire process, they guide students as mentors, developing their talent, technical thinking and courage to come up with original ideas. Their support and commitment are absolutely essential,” adds Tomáš Kosa, CEO of the HSF System construction group.
Teams must send photographs of their competition buildings to the competition organiser no later than 14 June 2026. The organiser will then announce, by 30 June 2026, which schools and teams will advance to the national finals. The six best models from Czechia will advance, as will the same number from Slovakia. During the final rounds, students present their models to an expert jury composed of designers, architects and representatives of other construction professions. The best teams from both national rounds will then advance to the international superfinal, which will take place in autumn 2026. A total of the 12 best buildings from Czechia and Slovakia will be presented there.
“The jury is made up of professionals from construction practice who will assess originality, creativity, technical sophistication, work with scale, internal layout and the presentation of the model itself. For students, this is an extraordinary opportunity to gain valuable feedback directly from experts in the field,” says Tomáš Kosa.
Modelium will distribute more than EUR 5,000 among the contestants. In the national final, first place will receive a reward of EUR 600, while the HSF System Employees’ Award is valued at EUR 300. Each finalist team will also receive a design allowance of EUR 80. In the international superfinal, the overall winner will receive EUR 1,000 and the Modelium challenge cup. Second place will receive EUR 600 and third place EUR 400. The Award for Creative Work with Corrugated Cardboard carries a prize of EUR 400, while the Public Choice Award is worth EUR 200.
This year’s edition of the international Modelium competition also included an online workshop led by a practitioner from the HSF System construction group. During the workshop, students received practical tips for working with corrugated cardboard, recommendations on how to present their designs and a better understanding of the judging criteria.
Modelium has long sought to deepen young talents’ relationship with the building trades, while developing their creativity and ability to work as a team. “This is a key prerequisite for ensuring that our construction industry has enough creative, skilled and motivated people in the future,” adds Tomáš Hess.
The organiser and general partner of the competition is the international construction group HSF System. The main partner is the development group ANTRACIT, with both companies forming part of the PURPOSIA Group investment holding. The product partner of the competition is the Association of Corrugated Board Manufacturers.