24-Year-Old Duo Reimagines Madrid’s Urban Spaces in Award-Winning Project

Maximilian Stjernstrom (known as Max) and Nina Méndez, both 24, have claimed the top prize in the “Sueña Madrid” (Dream Madrid) urban design competition, aimed at revitalizing underused spaces across the Spanish capital. The winning project, Amaniel Vivo, reimagines the Puente de Amaniel in the Bellas Vistas neighborhood of Tetuán, transforming the historic neo-Mudéjar aqueduct into a vibrant social and cultural hub.

The couple, both architecture students at Universidad Europea de Madrid, combine their personal and professional lives, describing their collaboration as highly complementary. Nina, of Mexican-Danish heritage, discovered her passion for architecture after studying in Denmark and returning to Madrid to pursue her dream. Max, originally from Sweden and raised in Marbella, brings years of creative experience through his family’s luxury real estate business, Mas Property, which he now helps manage in Madrid alongside his studies.

Amaniel Vivo proposes converting the arches of the disused aqueduct into galleries and cafés, expanding surrounding sidewalks, and enhancing the nearby park with pedestrian walkways. The design aims to create a safe, social, and cultural space for the community, replacing decades of neglect. Inspired by similar projects in Wrocław, Poland, Max and Nina developed their proposal in just two weeks after a university assignment coincidentally coincided with the competition deadline.

While the Madrid City Council emphasizes that winning the competition does not guarantee implementation, the awards showcase the innovative ideas young architects envision for the city’s neglected spaces. “I would cry with emotion if this is ever realized,” says Nina. “It’s such a unique place and deserves to be used rather than abandoned.”

The competition evaluated 56 submissions based on creativity, innovation, and relevance to the city’s challenges. The second prize of €2,000 went to Sofía Muñoz Montero and Natalia Díaz Amate from the University of Granada for Raíces de Agua, a proposal for Plaza de Castilla. The third prize of €1,000 was awarded to Elena María Arenas Moure of ETSAM for El Huerto de Antonio on Antonio López Street.

All winning projects are on display at the Centro Cultural San Francisco La Prensa until December 17, after which the exhibition will travel to the seven districts featured in the competition: Carabanchel, Chamartín, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Hortaleza, Latina, San Blas-Canillejas, and Tetuán.

Max and Nina, who consider themselves “adopted Madrileños,” plan to remain in the city, continuing to work together on their real estate ventures while contributing to the urban development of Madrid.

Source: El Español, December 2025