The Future of the Profession – Empowering the Next Generation in Participatory Urban Design

UIA ve UNESCO işbirliği ile düzenlenen "The Future of the Profession – Empowering the Next Generation in Participatory Urban Design" isimli kentsel tasarım yarışması için son başvuru tarihi 7 Mart 2025.

The UIA and UNESCO, through the UNESCO-UIA Charter for Architectural Education, have long been dedicated to preparing future architects to devise innovative solutions for the present and the future. As new eras usher in profound and complex challenges, particularly regarding the social and functional degradation of many human settlements, the need for visionary architectural responses becomes increasingly critical in shaping the qualitative development of the built environment in a rapidly changing world.

This initiative offers young architects an opportunity to contribute to one of the most prestigious cultural initiatives – the Biennale di Venezia. Through their participation, the next generation can demonstrate their vision for enhancing the experience of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The results will be evaluated by an international jury, and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony held at Palazzo Zorzi – the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, in Venice. Their work will also be displayed in an exhibition at the commencement of the Biennale Architettura 2025, from 8 to 15 May.

Visit the UIA competition platform to register, ask questions or submit your project.

Keywords: Heritage, Tourism

Prizes

The total prize money available for the competition is € 15.000. Prizes are not subject to VAT.

1st prize € 5.000 and a certificate

2nd prize € 4.000 and a certificate

3rd prize € 3.000 and a certificate

4th prize € 2.000 and a certificate

5th prize € 1.000 and a certificate

At its discretion, the jury may also decide to allocate up to five honourable mentions to proposals of particular merit. Honourable mentions will not carry a monetary prize.

Theme and objectives

This competition aligns with Deep Surface: Polyfunctional architecture to enhance the experience of UNESCO designated sites, an exhibition organised by UNESCO in collaboration with The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). The exhibition is scheduled to take place within the premises of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (Venice, Italy) from 10 May to 23 November 2025, concurrently with the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. It will focus on the context-specific architectural and functional features of visitor centres in UNESCO-designated sites, namely World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO Global Geoparks. The exhibition will highlight their experiences and good practices in heritage interpretation, education, community-oriented services, enhancement of cognitive and physical site accessibility, and sustainable tourism management.

Building on these reflections, the UIA competition is also aligned with the theme of the UN-Habitat World Architecture Day 2024, Empowering the Next Generation in Participatory Urban Design. This theme encourages young architects to actively engage in participatory processes, underscoring their essential role in shaping sustainable development in connection with UNESCO sites.

Key criteria

Submissions will be assessed on the criteria below:

• Compliance with the competition goals
• Urban and architectural design
• Social Impact
• Sustainability
• Contribution to improved Site Management
• Coherence of overall concept

Jury Members

Manuel Herrero Sanchéz, Architect, Spain

Magdalena Landry, Director UNESCO Office Venice, Poland

Cristóbal Tirado, Architect, Chile,

Doan Than Há, Architect, Vietnam

Omar Degan, Architect, Somalia

Alternate Juror:

Giacomo Ardesio, Architect, Italy

Eligibility

The competition is open to young architects (individual or in teams) from all over the world and comply with the following:

The author(s)/ team leader(s) of the proposal must have the right to use the title of architect in their country of origin or residence.

All participants must have been born on or after 1 January 1989.

Students, associates, employees, family members or anyone closely related with jury members and persons involved in the preparation of this competition are not allowed to participate in the competition.

Members of the UIA Council and the UIA Secretariat are not eligible to participate.

Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged. However, only architects can serve as team leaders or authors.

Key dates

2024-10-07 Announcement

2025-01-07 Launch

2025-01-16 Deadline for questions

2025-01-31 Deadline for answers

2025-03-07 Deadline for registration

2025-03-07 Deadline for submission of entries

2025-04-04 Jury decision

2025-05-07 Announcement of results

2025-05-07 Awards ceremony

2025-05-08 Round table discussion

2025-05-08 Exhibition