From grey to green: Andreas Kipar in conversation with Jana Revedin
In a conversation with Jana Revedin, Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2026 laureate Andreas Kipar traces his journey from gardener to landscape architect and urban designer, and the philosophy that has shaped his work: transforming grey industrial sites into green spaces where Nature, people and cities reconnect.
How can landscape architecture transform cities, regenerate industrial sites and bring Nature back into the heart of urban life? It is the question that runs through the conversation between Jana Revedin and Andreas Kipar released in September 2026 with the support of GRAITEC.
The occasion is Kipar’s recognition as a laureate of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2026, awarded in Istanbul under the theme “Architecture Is Transformation”. In the interview, he looks back at his journey from gardener to landscape architect and urban designer: a path that began in Germany’s industrial Ruhr region and led to the founding of LAND in Milan in 1990, together with Giovanni Sala.
At the heart of the discussion is the idea of moving “from grey to green”: transforming former industrial landscapes and brownfields into fertile, accessible spaces where Nature, people and cities can reconnect. Drawing on his experience in Germany and Italy, Kipar explains why landscape should not be treated as decoration, but as a strategic tool for shaping healthier and more resilient cities.
Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2026 ©Valentyna Rostovikova • PRYZM photography
Watch above the full conversation to discover how a gardener’s perspective can become a way of reshaping cities. As Kipar reminded the audience in Istanbul, it all begins with a simple gesture: try planting a tree, wherever you are.
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