The Federal University of Ceará (UFC), in partnership with the Institute of Architects of Brazil – Ceará Department (IAB/CE), has launched the National Public Competition for Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape Design for the UFC Arts, Culture, and Events Center, a project that will occupy one of the most symbolic sites along the Fortaleza waterfront. Registration has been open since August 13 and continues until October 6, 2026, with the final deadline for proposal submissions on October 21, 2026.
The new cultural space will be built on the site formerly occupied by the São Pedro Building, the old Iracema Plaza Hotel, at 9 Arariús Street, in the Praia de Iracema neighborhood. This location currently hosts the São Pedro Cultural Plaza, a public space managed by the UFC Dean of Culture. The structure occupies the site of the former São Pedro Building, maintaining urban permeability and reinforcing the population's affective connection to the site until the construction of the Arts, Culture, and Events Center, which will result from this competition.
The competition brief requires that proposals engage with existing urban conditions and the site's historical and symbolic significance, valuing the memory of the place as an integral part of the architectural design.
