Competitions held during previous editions of the MBA have been a wonderful opportunity for both novice and experienced architects from around the world to gain recognition and present their opinions and visions. The projects were evaluated by distinguished figures such as Wojciech Leśnikowski, Pekka Salminen, Julia Bolles, Peter Wilson, Francesco Purini, Eckhard Feddersen, Günter Schlusche, Hildebrand Machleidt, Armando dal Fabbro, Lennart Grut, Oana Bogdan, and Jan Kleihues, alongside notable domestic luminaries including Ewa Kuryłowicz, Marta Sękulska-Wrońska, Przemo Łukasik, and Wojciech Małecki. Honorary guests of the exhibitions and seminars have included Frei Otto, architects Herzog & de Meuron, Zvi Hecker, David Mackay, Dietmar Eberle, Peter Butenschøn, Claudio Nardi, Giovanni Multari, Viviana Muscettola, Andor Wesselényi-Garray, and Rainer Mahlamäki. The winning projects received international acclaim, while the awarded works and all other entries were documented in MBA publications.

Kraków is a city recognized throughout Europe, which adds uniqueness to this event. The main asset of the location is its historical heritage, of which architecture is the most significant part. It is precisely in this city that a continuous coexistence of old and new, historical and contemporary, conservative and avant-garde takes place. Architectural debate seems to be embedded in the very essence of the city.

MBA Kraków 2015, held under the theme “The Human Dimension of Urban Spaces”, initiated a debate on urban spaces, while MBA Kraków 2017, titled “The Courtyard – A Field of Imagination”, demonstrated the need to continue and develop this systematic dialogue – opening it up to new communities. The MBA Kraków 2019 edition allowed a better understanding of the potential of the existence of the river in the city and also showed how to better reveal and showcase the river, or more broadly water, within the Old Town area. A notable highlight was the concurrence in awarding 1st prize in Competition A as well as the MBA Grand Prix to the same project by Karolina Chodura and Joanna Rozbrój, entitled Reflection of the Past. That year also proved that the introduced multimedia competition is an important voice for society, confirmed by the first-ever Biennale Grand Prix awarded for the film “Krakow’s Art of Chaos” by Janusz Bartkowicz and Marcin Koszałka.

MBA Kraków 2021 demonstrated how the condition of the world has undergone profound changes over the past few decades. The division of the environment into natural and transformed spaces shows a rapidly decreasing reserve of the former and a painfully excessive growth of the latter. Exploitation of natural resources has exceeded global capacity to such an extent that there is no longer any doubt regarding their imminent depletion. The slogan “RE-USE” gained special significance during the ongoing pandemic, when social and economic changes necessitated adapting building functions and public spaces. Searching for new resources and reducing demand became key guidelines for reshaping most areas of human life. Workshops, panel discussions, lectures, and conversations over two days showed how essential environmental dialogue is for achieving shared goals.

The most recent MBA Kraków 2023 edition, themed “RECOVER”, focused on the need to reclaim urban space – both physical and mental. The contemporary city, shaped by asynchronous rhythms of social and structural change, now requires reflection on its identity. Returning to forgotten urban layers, uncovering old places, and transforming them give these spaces new quality and meaning. The process of “healing” the city begins with restoring interpersonal relationships – through creating meeting places, clear connections, and shared communication routes. Discussions, lectures, and workshops highlighted the importance of caring for the space between buildings – as real urban life concentrates there.

The opportunity to continue a long-standing tradition of open, community-inclusive discussion tackling current issues of contemporary architecture is also a chance for intellectual “fermentation”, fostering sensitivity in our city toward the challenges of creating a friendly, built urban environment open to people and their needs. This is the mission of MBA Kraków. Continuation of the tradition aims to be a platform for interdisciplinary creative activity, influencing the level of architectural culture in Poland, popularizing Polish architecture abroad, and drawing on the achievements of other countries.