When Construction Becomes Art. Košice Wins the Slovak Final of the Modelium 2026 Competition

The Slovak national finals of the 18th annual Modelium competition have crowned a winner. The team from the Secondary Industrial School of Construction and Geodesy in Košice best tackled this year’s theme, “A Building as a Work of Art.” Also advancing to the international superfinals are the Secondary Vocational School of Construction in Liptovský Mikuláš, the E. Belluš Secondary Vocational School of Construction in Trenčín, and the Secondary Vocational School of Construction in Žilina. They will compete for the overall victory against four Czech teams on November 4, 2026, at City Campus—the new building of the Faculty of Arts in Ostrava.

This year, students were tasked with creating an original model of a building out of corrugated cardboard on the theme “A Building as a Work of Art.” Their designs were to combine architecture with a distinctive artistic element while also taking into account the feasibility of constructing the building using 3D concrete printing technology. Six teams from five schools competed in the Slovak national finals: the Secondary Vocational School of Construction in Liptovský Mikuláš, the Technical Vocational School in Námestovo, two teams from the Secondary Industrial School of Construction and Geodesy in Košice, the Emil Belluš Secondary Industrial School of Construction in Trenčín, and the Secondary Industrial School of Construction in Žilina.

“This year’s assignment gave students the opportunity to look at architecture a little differently. It wasn’t enough to design an interesting building; they also had to think about how to combine the artistic aspect with the technical solution. We’re delighted that young people have the courage to experiment, seek new approaches, and transform their ideas into concrete models. It is precisely this combination of creativity and technical expertise that is so important for the future of the construction industry,” said Peter Guoth, Sales Director at HSF System SK.

The Secondary Technical School of Construction and Geodesy in Košice (Team 2) took home a cash prize of 600 euros from the Slovak national finals. The HSF System SK Employee Award, worth 300 euros, was awarded to the Secondary Vocational School of Construction in Liptovský Mikuláš. All finalist teams also received a sketch fee of 80 euros.

The four top Slovak teams from Košice, Liptovský Mikuláš, Trenčín, and Žilina will now compete in the international superfinals. Together, they will make up the Slovak half of the eight-team starting field, which will be joined by the four top teams from the Czech national round. The overall winner of the Modelium 2026 competition will be decided on November 4 at City Campus—the new building of the Faculty of Arts in Ostrava.

The organizer and general partner of the Modelium competition is the international construction group HSF System. The main partner of the competition is the real estate development group ANTRACIT. Both companies are part of the PURPOSIA Group investment group. The product partner of the competition is the Czech Corrugated Cardboard Manufacturers Association.

Modelium

The international Modelium competition is intended for high school students specializing in construction from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The essence of the competition is to create original models of buildings using eco-friendly and sustainable materials (corrugated cardboard) based on a given theme, such as a National Pavilion for the EXPO World’s Fair, a Floating City, Europe’s Tallest Skyscraper, a House on Mars, the National Library of the Czech Republic, or the School of Dreams. Over the course of the competition’s history, more than 400 models of various structures have been built. In the first round, contestants submit photos of their models. A panel of experts selects six from each country. These contestants advance to the Czech and Slovak national finals. Eight superfinalists will emerge from both national rounds. The top finishers will share more than 5,000 €. The winner receives 1,000 € and a challenge cup. The final rounds take place at interesting locations such as Villa Grossmann and Dolní Vítkovice in Ostrava, the Main Train Station, the Štefánik Observatory, the Klementinum in Prague, and the Šance Waterworks in the Beskydy Mountains. The Modelium project won 2nd place in the “Zlatý středník 2024” communications competition in the Czech Republic and 3rd place in the PROKOP 2025 competition in Slovakia.

Media Contact:

Lukáš Klapil, Crest Communications Ostrava, Cell: +420 603 824 194, Email: klapil@crestmorava.cz