Celebrating global roofing success in Bratislava

By The Coffee Shops. 

The 2025 IFD Congress was a celebration of roofing craftsmanship, industry partnerships and the future of the trade. 

Roofing professionals from across the globe gathered in Bratislava, Slovakia from October 22–25, 2025, for the 73rd Annual Congress of the International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD). Hosted at the Sheraton Bratislava Hotel, the annual event served as a meeting point for industry leaders to discuss the evolving challenges facing the roofing sector while exploring opportunities for innovation, education and international collaboration. This meeting also saw the election of a new IFD president, Dirk Bollwerk. Dirk is the president of ZVDH, the president of the German Roofing Association and will be serving the IFD as their president for the next three years.  

The week began with a welcome reception on Wednesday evening, setting the tone for several days of professional exchange and relationship building among delegates representing countries from around the world. From there, the congress shifted into a series of expert presentations and forward-looking discussions focused on the future of the global roofing industry. The event concluded with a Thursday evening traditional dinner hosted by the Slovak Roofing Association and a Friday night gala dinner at the historic Reduta Concert Hall. 

One of the most anticipated moments of the week was the IFD Awards 2025, which recognized exceptional roofing and façade projects from around the world. Nearly 100 projects were submitted across four categories — façade, flat roof, metal roof and pitched roof — underscoring the depth of craftsmanship and technical expertise represented throughout the industry. 

“This year’s submissions once again demonstrated the diversity and creativity of our trade – and how closely innovation and tradition go hand in hand,” said Sabine Rothschuh, general secretary of the IFD. 

Among the winners, the pitched roof category stood out in particular, with the jury awarding three equal first-place honours in recognition of the exceptional quality of the submissions. The winners included:  

Façade 

1. Battle of Don Memorial Site (Appreggio Bt, Ervin Király and BH Metall Kft., Hungary) 
2. National Széchenyi Library Archival Centre (Pilisi Pléh-Boy Kft., Hungary) 
3. Kovács Katalin National Kayak-Canoe Academy (Horex Kft, Bauer Bádogos és Szigetelő Kft., Hungary) 

Flat roof 

1. SFH K. (Spitzer Gesellschaft m.b.H., Austria) 
2. Whinfell Forest Centre Parcs, Subtropical Swimming Paradise (Central Group, United Kingdom) 
3. Seaplane Harbour, Estonian Maritime Museum (Aruna-Ehitus OÜ, Estonia) 

Metal roof 

1. Logan County Courthouse (The Durable Slate Company, USA) 
2. Reconstruction of the former Red Cross Headquarters (Pilisi Pléh-Boy Kft., Hungary) 
3. Reduta, Bratislava (SiQiS-S, s.r.o., Slovakia) 

Pitched roof (where three equal first prizes were awarded) 

1. Christ’s College Cambridge (Claude N Smith Ltd, United Kingdom) 
2. Restoration of Saint Helena Cathedral (The Durable Restoration Company, USA) 
3. Detached House Dentling (Schmid Dachbau GmbH, Germany)