The prize was awarded in an international design competition, held by the Platform of European Memory and Conscience, for a memorial to all victims of 20th century totalitarianism in Europe. The winning proposal, which was based on thousands of letters written by victims of totalitarianism, was selected from 39 anonymous submissions and the jury included Norman Foster and Pentagon Memorial designers Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman. The memorial will be erected on the Place Jean Rey in Brussels.
A co-founder and director of London-based , Tszwai So is also a trustee of the . He qualified as an architect in the UK, having graduated from the University of Hong Kong, where he was awarded the Ho Fook Prize in Architecture in 2003. He is passionate about heritage assets which hold our collective memories and sees their re-utilisation as a sustainable way of developing our towns and cities, the reason he decided to study for an MSt in Building History at Wolfson, Cambridge.
Previously awarded the People's Choice category in the New London Architecture Awards and the RIBA London Award 2017, last year, Tszwai was also the recipient of the RIBA Journal Rising Star Award 2016, and AIA UK Young Architect Award 2017. His built projects have been published worldwide and have received major architectural awards, commendations or nominations.