Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

Learn from past Buildner architecture competition participants through our extensive project library, curated over more than 15 years!

Cork Wood Pavilion Embracing Vineyard Views with Traditional Azulejos

Authors:
Hermann Gonzalez, Gustavo Mendoza, Cooper Copetas
Cork Wood Pavilion Embracing Vineyard Views with Traditional Azulejos
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
An inverted excavation formed with cork wood and adorned with traditional azulejos offers a unique vantage point over the vineyards, creating an inviting space for wine tasting.
5 key facts about this project
01
An inverted excavation enhances integration with the natural landscape.
02
Cork wood is prominently used, reflecting local material practices.
03
Traditional azulejos are incorporated for a cultural connection.
04
A cantilevered terrace expands usable outdoor space.
05
The design features a triangular form echoing the surrounding vineyards.

Adega de Cristal is a wine tasting room located on the slopes of Monte d'Oiro in Portugal. The design emphasizes a strong connection to its surroundings while providing a unique experience for visitors. The concept centers on an inverted excavation that blends the building into the landscape, allowing it to harmonize with the vineyards that stretch below.

Concept and Spatial Organization
The design carefully arranges visual axes and triangular forms, creating a thoughtful interaction with the terrain. The pavilion is divided into three distinct moments, known as an "Axis Mundi" trinity. The entrance features a solid mass portal that leads into the tasting room made of cork wood. This space is filled with natural light, enhancing its warm atmosphere. A specific area for displaying premier vintages offers a balance of shadow and illumination, creating an inviting environment for enjoying wine.

Architectural Details
The layout leads to a glass veranda complemented by a cantilevered terrace. This feature contributes to the flexibility of the space, accommodating different types of gatherings. The design encourages a connection with the landscape, allowing the pavilion to serve both as an enclosed space and an open venue for enjoying the outdoors. Each element of the plan supports a coherent flow, enriching the visitor experience as they move through the building.

Materiality and Context
Local materials play an important role in the design. Traditional azulejos and native stone reflect the regional architectural style, connecting the building to its cultural landscape. Cork wood is used inside, strengthening the link to the area. These materials serve practical and aesthetic purposes while honoring the heritage of the surroundings, grounding the pavilion in its unique location.

Design Experience
With its balanced proportions and thoughtful details, Adega de Cristal provides a setting that highlights the art of winemaking. The triangular shape mirrors the adjacent vineyards, framing views and encouraging quiet moments of reflection. The combination of light, shadow, and material adds richness to the atmosphere, creating spaces that invite visitors to engage with both the building and the natural beauty around it.

Noticed a mistake?
Highlight the text and click on
Noticed a mistake

Enter an open architecture
competition now

Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025
The Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4
The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3

The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025: Celebrating Architectural Creativity and Visionary Unbuilt Designs with a Total Prize Fund of €100,000

`
Competition organisers

The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025 is an international architecture competition dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the value of unrealized architectural designs. It invites architects, designers, and students worldwide to submit visionary projects that have not yet been constructed, highlighting the power of ideas and the creativity behind the design process. By focusing on unbuilt work, the competition aims to bring forward concepts that shape the future of architecture and push the boundaries of the profession. 

Participants can compete in three categories based on project scale: Small Wonders (up to 100 m²), Medium Marvels (101–999 m²), and Large Visions (over 1,000 m²). Each category winner will receive €20,000, and additional prizes include honorable mentions, student awards, and a special Best Presentation Award. Winning projects will gain significant international exposure through Buildner’s publicity campaign and a feature article on ArchDaily, providing a unique opportunity to showcase creative ideas to a global audience. 

The Buildner’s Unbuilt Award 2025 encourages entrants to submit any type of unbuilt project, from conceptual visions to detailed designs, celebrating bold innovation without the constraints of realization. Important deadlines: registration closes on October 30, 2025; submissions are due by November 20, 2025; winners will be announced on December 17, 2025.

Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

100,000€ Prize / 2025 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 October 2025

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
new
The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025
new
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 November 2025
Concrete 
Pavilion

Design a concrete pavilion

Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
new
Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 21 January 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

100,000€ Prize / 2025 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 October 2025
new
The Home of 
Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

The light studies. Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility OPEN TO ALL
Early bird registration deadline 5 November 2025
The Last 
Nuclear Bomb Memorial

Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs

Edition #6 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 13 November 2025
new
The Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 20 November 2025
Hospice - 
Home for the 
Terminally ill

Design a safe and supportive space to those struggling with a terminal illness

Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 10,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 26 November 2025
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 26 November 2025
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #7 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
Re:Form - 
New Life 
for Old Spaces

Choose a site—used, abandoned, or forgotten—anywhere in the world, and give it a new purpose

Edition #2 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 3 December 2025
The Architect’s 
Stair

Take a step and make a statement!

Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 15 January 2026

Media, partners and clients

To view this project in detail,
please log in with your
Architects’ Network Plus account.
Subscription instantly unlocks all the architecture projects plus other member-only benefits:
  • Access the 17,725 Concept Library
  • Professional tools including file transfer, email, portfolio management, and more
Register now
Already a member? Log in

This website uses cookies to improve user experience and gather usage statistics.

More information is available in our Privacy & Cookie policy