From ancient stone steps carved into cliffs to futuristic floating staircases in contemporary design, the stair has served far more than a functional role. It punctuates the rhythm of space, dictates circulation, and often becomes a central visual and emotional anchor in architectural composition. It holds narrative power—inviting pause, procession, and perception.

This competition invites architects, designers, and creative thinkers to explore the stair as a pure expression of architectural language. Participants are asked to reflect on its symbolism, geometry, movement, and potential—free from constraints of program, material, or scale. There are no limitations on style, function, context, or dimension. Whether monumental or minimal, abstract or inhabitable, real or speculative—what matters is the clarity and creativity of the concept.

We are not looking for compliance with regulations or typical stair design solutions. Instead, this is a conceptual exploration of an essential architectural element, reimagined as a means of expressing your unique design philosophy. How can a stair tell a story? How can it embody spatial ideas, emotions, ideologies, or atmospheres? How can it become a metaphor, a movement, a manifesto?

Take a step and make a statement! The stair is your subject—but your imagination defines its boundaries. Celebrate it. Deconstruct it. Transform it.

PRIZES

3 winning proposals, one special award recipient and 6 honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 7,000 € in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize – 3,500 €
2nd Prize – 1,500 €
3rd Prize – 1,000 €
+ 6 honourable mentions

Buildner Student Award – 1, 000 €

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Early Bird Registration: June 11 – June 26
Advance Registration: June 27 – July 8
Last Minute Registration: July 9 – July 24

Final registration deadline: July 24, 2025
Closing date for submission: September 15, 2025 (23:59 London Time)
Announcement of the winners: October 28, 2025

More: https://architecturecompetitions.com/architectsstair2

The post The Architect’s Stair Edition #2 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

This competition seeks to transform kindergarten design by creating environments that are not only safe and functional but also stimulating and inclusive. Participants are encouraged to conceive spaces that foster learning, creativity, and community interaction, using sustainable and innovative design solutions that promote healthy development.

With the flexibility to select a site within their home country, participants have the unique opportunity to integrate their designs within diverse community settings, potentially revitalizing underutilized areas. The Kinderspace #3 competition is more than just designing educational facilities; it’s about enriching communities and enhancing the educational landscapes to nurture the youngest members of our society. Participants are invited to think beyond conventional boundaries and develop spaces that inspire, educate, and connect.

PRIZES

3 winning proposals, 2 special award recipients and 6 honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 10,000 € in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize – 5,000 €
2nd Prize – 2,500 €
3rd Prize – 1,000 €
+ 6 honourable mentions

Buildner Student Award – 1000 €
Buildner Sustainability Award – 500 €

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Early Bird Registration: JUNE 10 – JULY 24
Advance Registration: JULY 25 – OCTOBER 16
Last Minute Registration: OCTOBER 17 – NOVEMBER 26

Final registration deadline: NOVEMBER 26, 2025
Closing date for submission: JANUARY 19, 2026 (11:59 p.m.LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners: MARCH 17, 2026

More: https://architecturecompetitions.com/kinderspace3

The post Kinderspace: Architecture for Children’s Development / Edition #3 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Building on the success and insights gained from previous challenges, this year’s competition continues to delve into the critical need for spaces that extend beyond medical treatment. The earlier editions unveiled inspiring designs that recognized the intricate interplay of emotional, psychological, and physical needs in end-of-life care. This new edition seeks to further this exploration, encouraging architects to innovate and refine their approaches in creating environments that offer comfort, dignity, and a sense of community to those facing life-threatening illnesses.

Participants are tasked with conceiving a facility that not only provides medical support but also caters to the psychological and emotional well-being of its visitors. The design should comfortably host up to 15 visitors and 5 staff members, featuring essential spaces such as a common area with a library, a gathering room, a chapel, a kitchen, a dining room, a nurse’s room, and a therapy room for psychological support.

In this fifth edition, we continue to provide participants with the freedom to select a theoretical site within their own country, encouraging them to incorporate cultural, environmental, and social contexts into their designs. This competition extends beyond architectural aesthetics; it serves as an opportunity for participants to showcase how thoughtful design can provide solace and support to individuals facing the most challenging phases of their lives.

PRIZES

3 winning proposals, 2 special award recipients and 6 honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 10,000 € in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize – 5,000 €
2nd Prize – 2,500 €
3rd Prize – 1,000 €
+ 6 honourable mentions

Buildner Student Award – 1000 €
Buildner Sustainability Award – 500 €

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Early Bird Registration: June 9 – July 9
Advance Registration: July 10 – October 9
Last Minute Registration: October 10 – November 26

Final registration deadline: November 26, 2025
Closing date for submission: January 12, 2026 (London Time)
Announcement of the winners: March 10, 2026

More: https://architecturecompetitions.com/hospice5/

The post Hospice – Home for the Terminally Ill Edition #5 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Under the theme “A Pause by the River”, the competition invites innovative design proposals for one site within the (tentatively named) Busan Design Special District, a 2km stretch spanning from the Busan Museum of Art to the Suyeonggang Human Bridge. Participants are expected to submit integrated proposals that encompass both Place Making and Public Goods Design, reflecting user behavior, site context, and urban connectivity.

The winning team will be granted the opportunity to proceed with detailed design development, prototype production, and implementation—including installation and supervision—for at least seven public facility types reviewed and approved by Design Council Busan.

Submissions must be made through the official competition website.

1. Competition Format
This competition proceeds as a two-stage international design competition.
– Stage 1: Two (2) teams will be selected based on the evaluation of applications submitted through the international design competition.
– Stage 2: Following the evaluation of design proposals submitted by the two teams selected in Stage 1, one (1) final team will be selected.

2. Application Period
– Stage 1 Proposal Submission: Jun. 2 (Mon) – Jun. 30(Mon) 2025, 18:00 KST (4 weeks)
– Stage 2 Design Submission: Aug. 18 (Mon), 2025, 18:00 KST

3. Competition Theme:
A Pause by the River

4. Scope of the Competition
Place Making and Public Goods Design for one designated site

– Designated Site: (Tentatively named) Busan Design Special District (Haeundae-gu and Suyeong-gu area)
Approximately a 2km stretch extending from Busan Museum of Art, through Dongseo University, Suyeonggang Human Bridge (currently under construction), and ending near Suyeong Hyundai Apartments

5. Eligibility Requirements
– Eligible participants include domestic and international companies (or institutions) with verified expertise and a proven track record in the field of public design.
– The representative company (or institution) must, as of the date of this announcement, have either received an award in a public design-related competition within the past three (3) years, or have completed at least three (3) public design-related projects.
※ During the application process, Design Council Busan may ask applicants to submit proof of previous project achievements, such as project completion certificates.

6. Prize
– Stage 2 Advancement (2 Teams): KRW 40,000,000 (Each)
– Final Awardee (1 Team): KRW 70,000,000

For more information, please visit the official competition website.

The post 2025 Big International Design Competition – Public Space Design Project 2 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

This edition of Buildner’s Material Studies series challenges participants to design a Concrete Pavilion, a space that not only showcases the versatility and raw beauty of concrete, but also educates the public about its evolving applications. The pavilion should be designed as either a temporary or permanent structure, with a total area not exceeding 50 m². Participants are free to choose the site location, but are encouraged to consider contexts where the pavilion could generate a meaningful dialogue between material and place.
The design must explore the sensory and tactile qualities of concrete: its textures, colors, finishes, and forms. Whether through cast-in-place elements, precast modules, or even experimental mixes with additives and aggregates, participants should stretch the limits of what concrete can do. The pavilion should serve as both a functional exhibition space and a sculptural object—one that sparks curiosity, provokes thought, and invites interaction.

Sustainability and innovation are key. While concrete has often been criticized for its environmental impact, recent advances offer pathways toward low-carbon and even carbon-neutral formulations. Participants are encouraged to incorporate sustainable strategies—through materials, methods, or messaging—into their proposals. The goal is not only to build with concrete, but to build better with it.

PRIZES

3 winning proposals, 2 special award recipients and 6 honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 10,000 € in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize – 5,000 €
2nd Prize – 2,500 €
3rd Prize – 1,000 €
+ 6 honourable mentions

Student Award – 500 €
Buildner Sustainability Award – 1,000 €

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Early Bird Registration: MAY 28 – JULY 9
Advance Registration: JULY 10 – SEPTEMBER 17
Last Minute Registration: SEPTEMBER 18 – NOVEMBER 27

Final registration deadline: NOVEMBER 27, 2025
Closing date for submission: JANUARY 12, 2026 (23:59 London Time)
Announcement of the winners: FEBRUARY 24, 2026

More: https://architecturecompetitions.com/concretepavilion

The post Concrete Pavilion appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Prizes up to 10.000 € will be awarded to the winners selected by an international jury panel composed, among others, by Luciano Crespi (Politecnico di Milano), Elisa Battilani (Cream Estudio), Nuria Matarredona Desantes (Universitat Politècnica de València), and Jose Luis Perez Hermo (Coop Himmelb(l)au).

BRIEF

The competition invites a transformative design that revitalizes the Antiguas Bodegas Vinival, a mid-20th-century wine production complex, into a vibrant space for community, culture, and creativity. Participants are encouraged to celebrate the memory of the building while embodying the energy, irreverence, and ritual of Las Fallas – Valencia’s iconic festival of fire and renewal.

Designers are asked to preserve the structural skeleton of the Bodegas and reimagine its vast interiors and surrounding landscape through adaptive reuse strategies. The goal is to propose a flexible cultural centre that functions year-round, hosting exhibitions, workshops, performances, and public gatherings both indoors and outdoors.

Proposals should merge tradition with innovation and define a space capable of honouring the legacy of Las Fallas while fostering new cultural expressions.

PRIZES

• 1st Prize: 5.000€
• 2nd Prize: 2.000€
• 3rd Prize: 1.000€
• 5 Golden Mentions: coupon for a free membership
• 10 Honorable Mentions: a coupon for a free competition
• 30 Finalists: published on Terraviva channels

GUIDELINES

Designs must preserve the Bodega’s main structural frame, but participants are free to remove or reinterpret all internal installations. The surrounding area, soon to be cleared, offers fertile ground for new urban and landscape interventions. Interior spaces should be reconfigured for maximum flexibility using modular or retractable elements, while the exteriors should promote connectivity, inclusion, and usability in Valencia’s Mediterranean climate.

The post BODEGAS VINIVAL: A Space to Celebrate Las Fallas de Valencia appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

(1) Theme:「Personal and Public」

The things we see. The warmth of sunlight, the chill of wind we feel. The beings we share space with. The objects we encounter.
The self is not fixed, but continuously woven through these shifting entanglements.
Personal is where we can fully inhabit and savor that entangled self.
Public is where new responses and relationships emerge, woven with others.
What kind of design can give form to a space that allows one to be alone, while holding the possibility of connection?
We invite proposals that explore the in-between where the Personal and the Public come into being together.

(2) Eligible Entries

Designs intended for installation in public spaces that bridge the realms of architecture and furniture.
We seek design proposals that shape spaces like architecture and attend to human gestures and sensations like furniture.

(3) Awards

・Grand Prize (1 Award): The awarded design will be fabricated and displayed at the European Cultural Centre – Palazzo Mora and at KOKUYO’s Tokyo office, THE CAMPUS.
・Excellence Award: (2 Awards)
・Honorable Mention: (5 Awards)
※The fabricated product to be exhibited at the European Cultural Centre – Palazzo Mora are expected to be exhibited as panels, partial mock-ups, or as scaled models.
※The final product will be fabricated by KOKUYO + VUILD based on the submitted data. The design may be adjusted as necessary to ensure feasibility for production.
※Fabrication may also be produced for design entries other than the Grand Prize award.

(4) Judging Points

・Clarity of concept
・Relevance to the theme
・Feasibility to execute and productize
・Adopts creative originality

(5) Judges

Digi Fab Award 2025 by KOKUYO × VUILD Office

(6) Eligibility

Open to individuals, groups, regardless of age, gender, occupation, or nationality. Entrants must agree to the competition’s terms and conditions.
※Award recipients may be required to enter into a separate agreement with KOKUYO and/or VUILD regarding the intellectual property rights related to the submitted proposal, prior to its production and implementation.
※Submissions must be original and unpublished work both in Japan and abroad, and participants may submit an unlimited number of entries.

(7) Entry Fee

Free

(8) Regulations

・Material: Wood only.
・Fabrication method: 3-axis CNC router. Proposals must reflect shapes and structures appropriate by this method[*1].
・Size and Structure: The total size must fit within a space of W5000 D5000 H2000mm, and the structure must be self-supporting.[*2] [*3].
・Intended usage: The design must be both durable and functional, suitable for use in a public space.
*1. The maximum size of each wooden sheet must be within W1200×L2400 t100mm.
*2. Proposals combining multiple components are allowed, provided final product fits within the specified space.
*3. Proposals requiring use of heavy machinery for assembly may be rejected.

(9) Submission

・Language: In English or Japanese
・File Format: PDF, Below 10MB
・Output Size: A2 landscape (594mm × 420mm) x1pc
・Required Contents: Title, Concept, Plan view/Cross section/Elevational
drawing[*4], CG renderings, and any other details needed to explain the design intent.
*4. Drawings must include scale and dimensions.

(10) Schedule

・Entry Opens: 1st June 2025 (Sun)
・Submission Deadline: 31st July 2025, Time 23:59 JST (Japan Standard Time)
・Award Announcement: Scheduled for Oct 2025 (Date To Be Advised)
・Installation period: Oct 2025～23rd Nov 2025 (Sun) (European Cultural Centre -Palazzo Mora) After Nov 2025 (THE CAMPUS)
※The results will be announced via KOKUYO official website and social media channels.
※The winners will be contacted in advance and may be requested to provide presentation materials/data for the exhibition.

(11) Application Method

Application via below entry form.
https://kokuyo.jp/dfa2025

(12) Organizers

KOKUYO Co., Ltd / VUILD, inc.

(13) Enquiries

dfa_office@kokuyo.com

※Enquiries by telephone, fax, or through KOKUYO Customer Service will not be accepted.
※To ensure fairness, any questions regarding the application guidelines will not be accepted.
Any information relating to the screening process or the selection results after submission will not be answered.

The post Digi Fab Award 2025 by KOKUYO×VUILD appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

As part of a series of annual architecture competitions, the Museum of Emotions competition is tasking participants with using architecture as a tool to bring out different emotions. They are asked to design a museum that includes two separate exhibition halls that bring out contrasting emotions – one inducing negative emotions, and the other inducing positive emotions.

Participants are free to choose the specific emotions they incite with their designs – fear, anger, anxiety, love, happiness, laughter, etc. The purpose of the Museum of Emotions is to use architecture as the primary tool to create emotional states, through consideration of the scales of the spaces, the journey through the space, colour, lighting, and material choice. As this is an ideas competition, participants are free to choose any site location, real or imaginary, as well as the size of their structure.

Museum of Emotions / Edition #7 is one of Buildners’ silent competitions, in which participants must communicate their ideas without the use of any text. The design concept and thinking behind it must all be communicated solely through the use of visuals.

PRIZES

3 winning proposals, 1 special award recipient and 6 honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 10,000 € in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize – 5,000 €
2nd Prize – 3,000 €
3rd Prize – 1,000 €
+ 6 honourable mentions

Buildner Student Award – 1,000 €

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Early Bird Registration: May 20– July 10
Advance Registration: July 11 – September 18
Last Minute Registration: September 19 – November 27

Final registration deadline: November 27, 2025
Closing date for submission: January 12, 2026 (23:59 LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners: March 3, 2026

More: https://architecturecompetitions.com/museumofemotions7/

The post Museum of Emotions / Edition #7 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Prizes up to 10.000 € will be awarded to the winners selected by an international jury panel composed, among others, by Robert V. Reis (Hanbury), Isabella Bhoan (Weston Williamson + Partners), Daniel Perez (Studio Perez) and Sandra Baggerman (Trahan Architects).

BRIEF

The project invites participants to design a multidisciplinary campus within the Shenk Property, a secluded nature reserve along Virginia’s Severn River (USA). Surrounded by wetlands and woodlands, this site offers a unique opportunity to blend architecture with one of the East Coast’s most sensitive ecosystems.

Participants are asked to imagine an R&D Field Station that fosters innovation, research and collaboration across fields – science, art, technology and beyond. The architecture must be adaptable, sustainable and deeply responsive to the shifting terrain and climate risks of the site.

PRIZES

• 1st Prize: 5.000€
• 2nd Prize: 2.000€
• 3rd Prize: 1.000€
• Final Exhibition in ArchEx 2025 (VA): November 5th
• 5 Golden Mentions: coupon for a free membership
• 10 Honorable Mentions: coupon for a free competition
• 30 Finalists: published on Terraviva channels

GUIDELINES

Designers are invited to propose a flexible structure that responds to the site’s environmental challenges, such as flooding, marsh migration, and rising tides, and its ecological potential. The architecture should go beyond the building itself, including thoughtful integration of trails, water access, and natural features.

Participants should envision a space that welcomes a wide spectrum of users, including students, startups, researchers and professionals, encouraging collaboration and adaptability, while establishing a strong connection with the landscape and fostering a dialogue between nature and architecture.

REQUESTED MATERIAL

Two A1 panels (59,4 x 84,1 cm) landscape oriented + a brief text describing the proposal (250-500 words).

JURY

• Robert V. Reis (Norfolk, Virginia) | Hanbury
• Olga Aleksakova (Tallin, Estonia) | Cloud Architects
• Jun Deng (New York, USA) | KPF
• Irem Sezer (Richmond, Virginia) | AIA Virginia
• Isabella Bhoan (London, UK) | Weston Williamson + Partners
• Daniel Perez (San Francisco, USA) | Studio Perez
• Sandra Baggerman (New York, USA) | Trahan Architects
• Rafael Bonet (Paris, France) | Bonet + Partners

SCHEDULE

• Competition Opening: May 20th
• 79 € “Early” Registrations: May 20th – July 25th
• 99 € “Standard” Registrations: July 25th – September 12th
• 129 € “Late” Registrations: September 12th – October 3rd
• Submission Deadline: October 3rd
• Winners Announcement: November 5th
• Exhibition Opening: November 5th

The post THE FIELD STATION: A Multidisciplinary Hub in Virginias Living Coast appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The FLOAT HOUSE, as an independent element and together, will function as tourist accommodation villas and may be part of a complex on land that complements the services (which will not be screened).

SCHEDULE

01 may 2025| Start of inscriptions
26 may 2025 | End of the first stage of registration
16 june 2025 | Ad members of the Evaluation Committee
21 june 2025 | End of consultation period
22 june 2025 | Second stage of registration ends
11 july 2025 | End of registration period
26 july 2025 | Deadline for submission of proposals
08 august 2025 | Judgment of the Evaluation Committee
11 august 2025 | Dissemination of results
13 august 2025 | Awards

PRIZES

1º PRIZE US $ 3,000
+ Exhibition and diffusion in the main architecture sites worldwide.
+ Virtual booklet of the best proposals.

3 HONORABLE MENTIONS
+ Exhibition and diffusion in the main architecture sites worldwide.
+ Virtual booklet of the best proposals.

RATES

Rates vary depending on the registration date. See current rates at:
www.worldarchitecturecompetitions.com

ORGANIZATION

World Architecture Competitions WAC.

We are a global organization dedicated to hosting Architecture Ideas Contests for young architects and architecture students worldwide. Each year, we design competitions that aim to reshape the way we think about Architecture, focusing on sustainability and planet-conscious design. Our goal is to foster a new architectural culture that is forward-thinking, responsible, and bold in the face of today’s environmental challenges.

We stay in tune with the real-world problems our planet is facing and believe that architecture is a powerful tool to address them. Through our contests, we encourage creative, innovative, and impactful solutions that make a difference.

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