The International Ideas Competition 'Mercado Modelo Montevideo: Thinking the 21st-Century City' aimed to open up urban design alternatives for an area located at the geographic center of Montevideo: a historic opportunity to envision the future in an innovative way, understanding large-scale urban structures, public spaces, residential fabrics, amenities, services, potential, and the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage.

The jury, comprising Michel Rojkind, Francesco Comerci, Gustavo Scheps, Ana Rivera, Ernesto Spósito, Jose Freitas, and Hebert Ariel Cagnoli, awarded an honorable mention to authors Jorge Gambini, Rafael Solano, Andrés Capurro, Sebastián Lambert, and Carolina Güida, alongside collaborators Fabiana Perdomo, Gabriel Rodriguez, Rodrigo Maestro, and Lucía Ifran. Explore the complete project below.

The partnership of elton_léniz and Forma Colectiva has won first place in the design competition for the future educational campus of the Chilean Army War Academy in Santiago. The project includes the construction of a classroom block, a dining hall, a 750 m2 library, a 3,000 m2 office podium, an auditorium, and underground parking, in addition to the renovation of the main headquarters building and a pagoda.

The winning team proposes a design based on three operations: void—"transforming the existing historical buildings and the new classroom block into the parade ground"—, plinth—valuing "the buildings steeped in history and symbolism by bringing them together on the same level as the classroom block"—, and volume arrangement.

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Colombian firm Espacio Colectivo has won first place in the design competition for the Jaime Rentería "Cuna de Campeones" Early Childhood Development Center (CDI) in Cali. This is the first CDI in Colombia to integrate sports into its pedagogical programming.

"This project is an opportunity to showcase education as a constructive act," states the winning team regarding the CDI, whose program will focus on physical activity to contribute to psychosocial development, while also integrating values and life skills, prioritizing the promotion of holistic development, collaborative work, and creativity. 

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The team comprising the firms Taller Piloto Arquitectos, ECS Arquitectos, AC Arquitectos, and TAHO Taller Horizontal has been awarded second place in the design competition for the "Cuna de Campeones" Jaime Rentería Child Development Center (CDI) in Cali, the first in Colombia to integrate sports into its pedagogical approach.

The CDI will focus on physical activity to foster psychosocial development, alongside the instillation of values and life skills, prioritizing the promotion of holistic development, collaborative work, and creativity. All of these elements are made visible through the center's architectural design, which features infrastructure tailored to continuously encourage play, exploration, and skill-building—critical aspects of early childhood that will allow children to explore their potential to become great athletes.

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A center to provide the inhabitants of Añelo—currently the nerve center of Neuquén, Argentina—with a multifunctional space where the municipality's cultural activities can be centralized. This was one of the primary requirements set by Ternium, together with the organizing association of the XVI Buenos Aires Architecture Biennial, for the 'National and International Ideas Competition for the Cultural Center of the Town of Añelo'.

The jury awarded first prize to architects Fernando R. Matos, Soledad Patiño, and Mateo Gamba. Learn more about the proposal in the words of the authors below.

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The office Atelier77 was awarded third place in the Public Competition for the Lake Paranoá Waterfront Masterplan. Atelier77's proposal aims to reclaim and restore public spaces along the shores of Lake Paranoá, balancing public use with ecological equilibrium to foster a sustainable occupation of the territory. It designs an urban infrastructure structured around three design layers—ecosystem, transport, and the integration of uses and activities—to create a vibrant waterfront.

The jury, chaired by Ângelo Bucci, highlighted the quality of the project's preservation of Cerrado phytophysiognomies, the incorporation of ecological corridors, sustainable drainage, and the integration of cultural uses, as well as the transport infrastructure featuring a new LRT line and catamaran services. The proposal suggests an active occupation of the waterfront, introducing a wide range of facilities and activities to ensure permanent use, preservation, safety, and the subsequent activation of the shoreline. The scheme emphasizes the importance of designing far beyond a simple park, providing a democratic and accessible waterfront for all.

Read on for an excerpt from the project description.

With the proposal "Open-Air Gallery" (Galería a cielo abierto), the team comprising Colectivo 720 and DARP - De Arquitectura y Paisaje has won second place in the design competition to renovate the public space along a two-kilometer stretch of Avenida Sexta in Cali, Colombia, between Plazoleta del Correo (Calle 12 Norte) and Parque de la Música (Calle 36 Norte).

The award-winning team's proposal is structured around four actions that aim to both "respond to the need for pedestrian infrastructure" and "generate a narrative itinerary experience, highlighting the built landscape, recognizing the natural landscape, and recalling local idiosyncrasies as a basis for the reactivation of public space," the authors explain.

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The G. Oberdan Primary and Secondary School architectural project, designed by Asociación Semillas and DDA architetti, recently won first place in the Innovative Schools competition, organized by the Italian Ministry of Education for over 51 site interventions across Italy. The competition aimed to generate ideas around the concept of an innovative school—spanning architecture, engineering, technology, energy efficiency, and seismic safety—while accounting for new learning paradigms and the integration of the school into the public realm and the city.

The “Interior Urbano” project by Argentine firm Paralelo Colectivo has won third place in the Lanzarote Dynamic Square ideas competition for the remodeling of the Plaza de El Almacén, located in the town of Arrecife on the island of Lanzarote, Spain. 

Last December, the Cabildo de Lanzarote, in collaboration with the Rethinking Competitions platform, launched this ideas competition to transform the current “El Almacén” square, aiming to turn this vacant space into an urban hub for culture and social gathering. In line with the competition guidelines, the goal was to create a space for people, not vehicles—a green, shaded area where children can play, concerts can be held, and markets can open. Ultimately, it envisioned a place of gathering, passion, and art: a space designed by and for citizens, a dynamic and more human plaza. 

The competition organized by the website YAC - Young Architect Competition and the Municipality of Favignana was created to transform the Santa Caterina Fortress in Italy into a new center for Mediterranean contemporary art. A place of encounter, culture, and creative research, it is envisioned as a retreat where artists can immerse themselves in a historical context capable of inspiring imagination and introspection. The jury featured renowned architects, including Daniel Libeskind, João Luís Carrilho da Graça, and Manuel Aires Mateus, alongside members of the Italian municipality. A Brazilian team was awarded second place. Below, explore their project and the team members.

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