Tag: design-competition | ArchDaily

Buildner and Dubai’s RTA Award €500K for Climate-Responsive Urban Design

Rene Submissions — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 07:45:00 +0000

Buildner has announced the results of the Dubai Urban Elements Challenge, a landmark international design competition organized in strategic collaboration with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). With a total prize fund of 2,000,000 AED (approximately €500,000), the initiative represents one of the most significant publicly funded global design competitions focused on urban transformation.

Doors at Scale: Highlights from the Best Pivot Door Contest 2026

Eduardo Souza — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 02:30:00 +0000

By shifting rotation away from traditional hinges and distributing weight vertically, pivot doors were developed to address a specific architectural challenge: how to move large, heavy door panels with precision, durability, and minimal visual interference. These systems allow doors to grow significantly in scale, weight, and material ambition, often blurring the line between door, wall, and architectural surface. Over time, this technical innovation has expanded the role of doors in architecture, allowing them to operate not only as points of access, but also as spatial thresholds, compositional devices, and expressive elements within the building envelope.

Foster + Partners Wins Competition to Design the National Memorial to Queen Elizabeth II

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 05:30:00 +0000

Foster + Partners has won the competition to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II. In February 2025, five finalist teams were selected by the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee to develop a master plan honoring and celebrating the late Queen. The memorial aims to provide visitors with a space for reflection in London's St James's Park, a site of historical and constitutional significance. Foster + Partners' winning proposal features a new bridge inspired by the Queen's wedding tiara, a Prince Philip Gate, and new gardens. The design will continue to be developed until April 2026.

From the Hills of Athens to the Craters of Mars, Discover 8 Award-Winning Competition Proposals from the ArchDaily Community

Nour Fakharany — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Architectural competitions have long offered a space for experimentation: platforms where ideas can be tested, typologies reimagined, and critical questions addressed through design. Freed from some of the constraints of commercial commissions, competition entries often reflect ambitious visions for how architecture can respond to environmental, cultural, and social challenges. Whether focused on future habitats, public institutions, or small-scale community infrastructure, these proposals give shape to the values and priorities driving architectural thinking today.

Insights from Saudi Arabia’s Architecture and Design Commission and the Designathon Initiative

Enrique Tovar — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 06:45:00 +0000

For centuries, the heart of the Arabian Peninsula was a land of vast deserts and settlements shaped by their environment. This relationship with the landscape, materiality, and knowledge of the place has not only endured but now translates into a landscape gaining recognition on the global creative scene. From projects that emerge with a profound sensitivity to context to global exhibitions and awards that drive its evolution, the region is consolidating its architectural language—rooted in its history while oriented toward new explorations. Far from halting, this momentum continues to chart the path for its development, establishing the region as a platform in contemporary architectural discourse.

Nová Scéna: The Story Behind the Iconic Brutalist Extension of the National Theatre in Prague

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 07:30:00 +0000

From 1977 to 1983, the National Theatre in Prague underwent a major transformation with the opening of Nová Scéna, a modern counterpart to the traditional Neo-Renaissance theatre. For many years, Nová Scéna hosted the renowned Laterna Magika, the world’s first multimedia theatre. This groundbreaking performance style combined classical theatre with computer-generated visual effects, creating a unique dramatic experience. The striking glass building, a symbol of the communist era, became an iconic representation of the political power of the time. In recognition of its significance, this building was part of the Open House Prague festival in 2024—an annual event that invites the public to explore and appreciate the value of architecture.

Between the Sacred and the Profane: The Story Behind the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lisbon

Camilla Ghisleni — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:30:00 +0000

As a landmark of contemporary religious architecture in Portugal, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands in contrast to traditional models, representing a work free from historicist stigmas. Resulting from a design competition organized in 1960, the church is notable for its civic dimension, urban role, and its anti-monumental and social significance. Integrated into the regular grid of the Avenidas Novas neighborhood, this example of the Movement for the Renewal of Sacred Art is part of a larger parish complex that often goes unnoticed by passersby. Its external street creates an unexpected public space, inviting people to enter and engage in a courtyard where architecture and the city merge. Finely crafted in terms of spatiality, detail, and light, the church holds many surprises for those who venture inside.

Reimagining an Abandoned Urban Landmark: The Story Behind the Piraeus Tower in Athens, Greece

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:30:00 +0000

The landmark of Piraeus, located in the heart of the largest passenger port in Europe, began construction in 1972 but remained unfinished and vacant for decades. Finally completed in 2023, after an international competition, it now stands as Greece's first green and digital skyscraper. The architectural firm PILA took on the design of the facades, while the office ASPA-KST designed the commercial spaces, and the new general architectural study was entrusted to Betaplan. After over four years of renovation, Piraeus Tower officially opened its doors to tenants and visitors on June 4th with a night of celebrations, establishing itself as a bustling hub and injecting vitality into the area.

David Kohn Architects and noAarchitecten Win Competition to Redesign the SMAK Museum in Ghent, Belgium

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 05:30:00 +0000

The team comprised of David Kohn Architects, noA Architecten, and Asli Çiçek has won the international competition for the redesign of SMAK, the Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art in Ghent, Belgium. The project includes the reconfiguration of the museum grounds and the extension of a cluster of historic buildings in the center of the city. Established in 1999, the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst aims to redefine its relationship with the city and to create more appropriate space for the design of its extensive contemporary art collection.

MTspace Studio Designs Flood-Resistant 3D Printed Homes for ICON's Initiative99 Competition

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 20 May 2024 06:30:00 +0000

In an open competition, ICON’s Initiative 99 requested participants to design a home using ICON’s 3D printing technologies while keeping the construction budget under $99,000. Among the three selected winners for the Open Category, New Zealand-based office MTspace Studio proposes a robust flood-resistant design, in response to the housing crisis in New Zealand’s flood zones. Titled “Wai Home” after the Māori word for water, the concept revolves around the idea of working with this essential natural element. The design features innovative rainwater collection and storage systems, along with elements to increase the resilience of the construction in the face of increasing threats.

Zaha Hadid Architects Wins Competition for Riga Ropax Terminal in Latvia

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 13 May 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has been announced as the winner of the international competition for the design of the Riga Ropax Terminal in Latvia. Collaborating with Latvian practices Sarma Norde Architects and Alps Landscape Architects, as well as Sweco Finland, ZHA’s proposal includes the repurposing of an existing shipping warehouse, to be transformed into a key multi-modal transport hub for the city, located along the Daugava River. The competition was open to anyone who qualified. Out of the ten registered entries, the third prize was awarded to US-based Berenblum Busch Architects, the second prize went to R-Konsult from Estonia.

How Can Modular Design Be Used to Revolutionize Housing Architecture?

Enrique Tovar — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 01:30:00 +0000

Housing is a diverse architectural typology whose configuration is determined not only by those who design it but also by the use of those who live in it. Therefore, homes are fundamentally adaptable structures that evolve in line with their time and users, undergoing constant changes manifested in the ways of living. The house conceived today will not be the same as the one built tomorrow, so it becomes necessary to maintain a critical and profound approach to the role it plays in the built environment.

The 10th Edition of Toronto's Winter Stations Reveals Images of the Winning Projects

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Winter Stations, now in its 10th year, has unveiled the winning designs selected from a pool of hundreds of submissions worldwide. Following an international design competition launched in November 2023, designers, artists, and architects contributed with bold proposals to reimagine the lifeguard stations along Toronto’s east-end beaches for the winter. Launched by RAW Design, Ferris + Associates, and Curio in 2014, the event aims to gather an international design and art community to join in this playful exercise of rethinking public spaces through bold temporary interventions. The winning designs were realized with the support of Anex Works, a Toronto-based fabrication group, and will be on display until the end of March.

UNStudio Designs Hybrid Building in Luxembourg for a Reduced Carbon Footprint

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 06:30:00 +0000

UNStudio, in collaboration with local partner HYP Architects, has won the competition for the design of the Kyklos building in Luxembourg. The project is part of Beval, a large-scale redevelopment initiative aiming to transform a former industrial site into an urban center complete with a university and technological center, in addition to residential, office, and retail spaces. When designing the Kyklos building, which will occupy a central position in the district's main square, the architects set out to find solutions to create the smallest carbon footprint for both operational and embedded metrics.

Powerhouse and KIMA arkitektur Win Competition for a New Addition to Oslo’s Skyline

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The Norwegian studio of Powerhouse, in collaboration with KIMA arkitektur, has won a design competition for the transformation and extension of one of the historical buildings located in the center of Landbrukskvartalet. Known as the Agricultural Quarter, a former farming and industrial site in central Oslo, the area is now scheduled to go through an urban revitalization process to be transformed into an active neighborhood based on the design philosophy of ‘new meets old’.

Unveiling New Images of Snøhetta's Spiraling Shanghai Opera House

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 05:30:00 +0000

Snøhetta has just released construction images showing the progress on the studio’s long-awaited Shanghai Grand Opera House in China. With its iconic fan-shaped roof, the firm has been commissioned the scheme in 2019 following an international design competition. The project is set to be completed in 2025, seeking to attract a broad audience for traditional, classical, and experimental performances.

Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos Wins Competition to Reimagine the Dallas Art Museum

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) announced Madrid-based practice Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos as the winner of the international design competition Reimagining the Dallas Museum of Art. The project was selected out of 154 submissions from around the world, and a shortlist featuring internationally recognized names such as David Chipperfield Architects, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Johnston Marklee, Michael Maltzan Architecture and Weiss/Manfredi. The winning proposal was conceived ‘as a reflection of the original building, transforming the relationship between art, landscape, and community into a balance of memory and innovation,’ according to the architects. The winner’s concept design is available to view in a free presentation on Mezzanine Level 2 at the DMA through this Fall and on the competition website.

Perkins&Will Wins Competition for the Design of Smithsonian’s Bezos Learning Center in Washington D.C.

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The Smithsonian Institution selected Perkins&Will to design the Bezos Learning Center at the National Air and Space Museum in located on the prominent National Mall in Washington D.C. Perkins&Will was one of the five shortlisted finalists for the competition. According to the Smithsonian, the selection was based on the architects’ ample experience in designing cultural and educational spaces, the reliability of their management team and the team’s aesthetic approach.