OPW and 14 Henrietta Street win Europa Nostra Awards (2026)
Congratulations to the two Irish winners of Europa Nostra awards - the Office of Public Works and 14 Henrietta Street!
The 2026 European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, co-funded by the Creative Europe go to 30 exemplary projects and champions from 18 countries across Europe.
The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards were launched by the European Commission in 2002 and have been run by Europa Nostra ever since. For 24 years, the Awards have been a key instrument to recognise and promote the multiple values of heritage for Europe’s culture, society, economy, and environment.
Supported under the European Union’s Creative Europe programme, the Awards have highlighted and disseminated heritage excellence and best practices in Europe, encouraged the cross-border exchange of knowledge, and connected heritage stakeholders in wider networks.
The Awards have brought major benefits to the winners, such as greater international exposure, additional funding, and increased visitor numbers. In addition, the Awards have championed a greater care for our shared heritage among Europe’s citizens.
Irish Europa Nosta Award Winners 2026
OPW; Improving the Energy Performance of Heritage Properties in State Care Initiative. Category: Education, Training & Skills
In order to support Ireland’s climate action commitments and the European Union's decarbonisation targets, the Office of Public Works, the state body responsible for managing Ireland’s governmental property portfolio, launched a research initiative to examine how historic buildings could contribute. Prior to this, there was no clear framework for upgrading the energy performance of historic buildings without putting their heritage value at risk.
The Office of Public Works in Ireland developed practical guidance and a technical training programme to help public authorities improve the energy performance of historic buildings without compromising their heritage value. It strengthens professional skills and proves that climate action and heritage conservation can be complimentary. Find out more about OPW's Europa Nosta award.
14 Henrietta Street; Social History Museum of Dublin Life. Category: Citizens Engagement and Awareness-raising
14 Henrietta Street in Dublin is a social history museum that explores the city’s intangible heritage through the lives of former residents. Through guided tours, oral histories and public programmes, it links the building’s architecture with everyday experiences and collective history.
The restoration and conservation of the building was led and funded by Dublin City Council, with additional support from a Centenaries Capital Grant from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The project follows a people-first approach and has developed into a museum centred on citizens’ engagement. Former residents, historians, artists, architects and local authority representatives worked together in a cross-sectoral steering group. Former residents contributed artefacts, advised on room displays and ensured that personal testimony carried equal weight with archival research. New historical studies commissioned by the museum further clarified the building’s social and architectural context. Find out more about 14 Henrietta Street's Europa Nostra award.
European Heritage Awards Ceremony 2026
The winners will be celebrated at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony 2026 on 28 May at the Municipal Theatre of Nicosia, Cyprus.
The ceremony will be a highlight of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026, taking place from 26 to 30 May in the capital city of Cyprus. Under the motto “Heritage as the Soul of Mare Nostrum”, the Summit in Nicosia will highlight the (geo)political, societal and environmental relevance of heritage for Europe and the wider Mediterranean region.
The Summit, organised by Europa Nostra with the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Nicosia, is held under the patronage of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, and is supported by the European Union.