Over the past two decades, the Holcim Foundation Awards has committed USD 20M to spotlight transformative projects by architects, designers, and engineers who pioneer sustainable design and construction practices. To capture these stories, the Foundation launched a short film series titled Words withWinners.
This series provides an in-depth look at award-winning sustainable design projects through exclusive interviews with their creators. It includes the first film to showcase BRAC University campus, recently completed in Dhaka, featuring an exclusive interview with the lead architect and co-founder of Singaporean green building specialists WOHA Wong Mun Summ.
486 Moby. Image Courtesy of Finland’s New Museum of Architecture and Design
The Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design Foundation, in partnership with the Real Estate Company ADM, has unveiled the five designs shortlisted for the international competition aimed at offering Helsinki a new venue highlighting architecture history and design. This new museum, to be located in the historic South Harbour, has received global interest, with 624 anonymized submissions reviewed since September 2024. This announcement marks the completion of the competition's first phase, as all successful entries will advance to a second stage, receiving a financial award to refine their concepts.
Unbuilt projects are a reservoir of untapped potential, telling stories of creativity, vision, and exploration. The Unbuilt Award 2025shines a spotlight on these extraordinary designs, offering a global platform for ideas that redefine boundaries.
This competition features categories for small, medium, and large-scale projects, ensuring every vision receives the recognition it deserves. Open to all, regardless of qualifications, this is an invitation for everyone, everywhere.
Highlighted submissions. Image Courtesy of Buildner
Buildner is pleased to announce the results of its second annual Architect's Chair Competition, which received excellent ideas from around the globe. As this competition series gains traction and interest, Buildner is excited to announce the launch of the Architect's Chair Edition 3 competition with a registration deadline of January 15, 2025. Buildner has also published its first book on the topic, highlighting key ideas and outstanding projects past editions.
Buildner has announced the results of the Kharkiv Housing Challenge, the first competition in a two-part series focused on rebuilding Ukraine. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, has been deeply affected by the ongoing conflict, and this competition is part of a broader effort to rebuild its housing and public spaces.
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.
Buildner, in collaboration with building materials manufacturer Kingspan, has announced the winners of the MICROHOME Kingspan Edition, awarding a total prize fund of 150,000 EUR. This year's competition, now in its seventh edition, attracted professional and student architects and designers from 115 countries.
Buildner has announced the results of its second annual Home of Shadows international architecture ideas competition. This competition series is designed to focus on the vital interplay between light and shadow in creating functional and inviting living spaces, highlighting the importance of natural light in home design, which is essential for creating comfortable, welcoming, and practical environments.
Buildner recently concluded its Iceland Ski Snow Cabin International Design Competition, inviting architects and designers to create a cozy, eco-friendly ski cabin that blends harmoniously with Iceland's stunning landscape. The competition aimed to develop practical, sustainable designs that offer a skier’s retreat, complete with essential amenities such as gear storage and a warm communal space. The challenge was set in the Mývatn region, a picturesque area in northern Iceland, renowned for its breathtaking natural wonders, including Lake Mývatn, the Skútustaðagígar craters, and the geothermal marvel of the Krafla caldera.
First Prize Winner + Buildner Student Award. Image Courtesy of Buildner
Buildner has revealed the results of its Under Bridge Affordable Housing Challenge, the 17th version of its Affordable Housing competition series, which focused on proposing design solutions to address housing challenges in cities around the world. This competition aimed to transform neglected areas under bridges, turning idle or empty spaces in sprawling cities into vibrant and thriving communities.
Participants were invited to select any "under the bridges" site globally, considering factors such as accessibility, available amenities, and how the proposed solution would integrate with the existing community or city. Designs needed to demonstrate adaptability, ensuring they could meet diverse needs while remaining cost-effective and sustainable. Buildner and its jury sought practical, scalable, and eco-friendly designs to revolutionize these overlooked spaces. The competition encouraged creative thinking and innovative housing solutions that challenge conventional approaches.
Third prize, Main category: Agata Gała of blank studio, Poland
Awards and prizes are vital to professional ecosystems in supporting talent and new ideas; for the design industry, competitions encourage creative minds to leap beyond the bounds of practicality to imagine the future, solve problems and build new communities. Expanding impact with international breadth and egalitarian opportunities, competitions often provide space for emerging talents and students, providing support, mentorship and experience to develop their careers and process.
For Polish ceramics manufacturer Ceramika Paradyż, hosting the Paradyż Designers Competition brings together all of these values, alongside an innovative way to challenge how its products can function. This year, the third edition challenged architects and designers to craft imaginative digital designs using a new series of sintered stones, TRI-D. The natural product, a baked composite of quartz, feldspars, clays or kaolins, performs as an alternative to natural stone; extraordinarily durable, tiles retain their aesthetic from the surface to the cross section, making them ideal for worktops, windowsills and fireplaces, yet in fact, the possibilities are endless.
The New South Wales Government is developing a "pattern book" of endorsed housing designs, eligible for fast-tracked approval, to guide the creation of new low-rise housing and mid-rise apartment buildings in Sydney, Australia.
The best architectural minds from everywhere in the world are invited to participate in the NSW Housing Pattern Book International Design Competition to create great designs for Sydney and contribute to the diversity and depth of the Pattern Book.
The Morocco Oasis Heritage Retreat competition invites architects and designers from around the world to engage in a unique challenge. This competition, organized by Buildner, focuses on creating a sustainable and culturally sensitive retreat in Morocco. The aim is to design a retreat that harmoniously blends with the natural landscape and respects the rich heritage of the northeastern Moroccan region.
The competition is a call for innovative designs that reflect a deep understanding of the local culture and environment. Participants are tasked with designing a retreat that offers tranquility and a connection to nature while incorporating sustainable practices. This competition emphasizes creativity, sustainability, and cultural sensitivity.
Courtesy of David Kohn Architects, noA Architecten, and Asli Çiçek
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.
Architectural competitions are valuable learning tools, offering architects a unique opportunity to experiment and expand their creative boundaries. By engaging with real-world challenges and receiving critical feedback, participants gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of the profession. Whether conceptual or not, competitions foster innovation, encouraging design professionals to think outside the. This week's curated selection showcases winning competition entriessubmitted by the ArchDaily community, providing architects and architecture students with new perspectives and inspiration for their own practice, be it diploma projects, professional licensing, or commissions.
From an immersive urban park in Seoul, South Korea, to a rural education campus in the Amazon, or a reimagined port in Corsica, this selection highlights projects that have stood out in competitions from around the world. While some of the proposals have been developed by established firms, including KAAN Architecten, ArchiWorkshop, Studio Akkerhuis, or Richez Associés, these competitions have also proven to be an opportunity for emerging designers to showcase their creativity and problem-solving abilities
Courtesy of Saint-Gobain Architecture Student Contest
More than 224 universities from 29 countries participated in the 19th edition of the Saint-Gobain Architecture Student Contest’s international final. Students from all over the world imagined projects to transform a district of Helsinki in Finland. The winners have just been revealed during an event held by Saint-Gobain in the Finnish capital between June 10th and 12th, 2024.
Kingston University London by Grafton Architects, 2022 Daylight in Architecture Laureates. Image Courtesy of Dennis Gilbert
On May 16th at 18:00 (CEST), Juhani Pallasmaa, chairing the esteemed jury consisting of Dorte Mandrup, Russell Foster, Iwan Baan, Yvonne de Kort, Michael Balick, and Gerd Folkers, will present the jury's reasoning, and the 2024 laureates for Daylight Research and Daylight in Architecture will be announced. This event will be streamed live online.
The online event is open to the global community of architects, researchers, scientists, building professionals, educators, students, and members of the press. It welcomes everyone interested in daylight and its significance for life on Earth. Sign up here to receive event notifications and join the live announcement.
Henning Larsen has just won an international competition to design the New Arts Center in Bergen, Norway. Situated in western Norway, the Grieg Quarter aims to blend urbanity, culture, and natural beauty in Bergen. The winning entry proposes to expand the city’s creative and natural landscapes with the new performing arts and exhibition center.
