This competition is part of a strategic partnership between Buildner and ArchDaily that aims to explore "The Contemporary Home".

Learn more

Introduction

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
Concrete 
Pavilion

Concrete is one of the most ubiquitous materials in the built environment. Its legacy spans centuries, from the enduring marvels of ancient Rome to the modern monoliths of contemporary architecture. But beyond its familiar gray tones and formidable strength lies a world of design potential, yet to be fully unlocked. With this competition, Buildner invites architects and designers to rediscover concrete—not just as a structural solution, but as a medium for innovation, expression, and experimentation.

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. 

Download the full competition brief for more information!  

Competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English.

Brief

The full competition brief can be downloaded as often as required; no additional information will be provided after registration.

Full Competition Brief

Download brief

Prizes

Prize fund

10,000 €

1ST PLACE

5,000 €

2ND PLACE

2,500 €

3RD PLACE

1,000 €

Buildner Student Award

1,000 €

(more details)

Buildner Sustainability Award

500 €

(more details)

6 Honorable mentions & certificates

Buildner will acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.

Publicity campaign

Buildner's publicity campaign offers extensive exposure to the architectural community, ensuring that the results of the competition are seen by a vast audience:

Buildner's two million

The results are published on buildner.com, a leading website in the architecture industry, attracting over one million unique visitors annually. Additionally, the campaign extends to Buildner's social networks, which boast over 800,000 followers combined, and through newsletter campaigns reaching over 200,000 subscribers.

Interview and movie

Winners will have the opportunity to submit a movie and an interview, boosting their recognizability and helping to build their name in the industry.

Extensive media network

Buildner leverages an extensive network of media industry leaders to publish the competition results. This broadens the audience further, ensuring that participants' work is showcased across multiple platforms known for their influence and reach in the architecture and design sectors.

Publicity

ArchDaily feature

As part of the collaboration between Buildner and ArchDaily, the competition winners will be showcased on ArchDaily, a leading architecture news platform.

This feature will greatly boost the winners' visibility to millions of architecture professionals and enthusiasts worldwide, increasing their chances for new opportunities, attracting new clients, and establishing their reputation in the industry.

Read more about Buildner and ArchDaily partnership
&

Jury members shall under no circumstances be contacted by competition participants or their representatives. Participants who attempt to contact jury members, shall be disqualified.

All jury members are involved in the evaluation based on their availability at that time. All communication regarding the competition should only be carried out with Buildner staff. For any questions please contact us on [email protected]  

Sekou Cooke

Black Reconstruction Collective

USA

Karin Fendt

Kuehn Malvezzi

Germany

Moon Hoon

Moon_Bal_Sso

South Korea

Marco Mazzotta

Heatherwick Studio

UK

Erika Nakagawa

Erika Nakagawa Office

Japan

Edoardo Tibuzzi

AKT II

UK

Lei Zheng

Zaha Hadid Architects

UK

Design assessment

Participants will have the option to request a personalised in-depth design assessment of their project for a fee after the competition results are published.

This feedback highlights the strengths of each submission and identifies areas for refinement, offering participants valuable insights into their work.

The design assessment serves as both a learning tool and a reflection of a project's performance. It helps participants better understand their submission, see how it compares with other entries, and identify opportunities for growth in future projects.

Key dates

Send reminders

Registration fees

PRE-REGISTRATION

First 30 registrations free

0

free registration available

Free registrations are available to Architects’ Network Plus subscribers on a first-come, first-served basis. Each Architects’ Network Plus subscriber is eligible for one free registration per account. An invitation to claim the free registration is issued via the Buildner newsletter at the launch of the competition.

REGISTRATION

18 Sep - 27 Nov

I'm
I will pay in

140 €

full award package

100 €

no monetary award

120 €

full award package

90 €

no monetary award

140 €

full award package

100 €

no monetary award

120 €

full award package

90 €

no monetary award

+4.5% VAT

 

STUDENT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

Contact us to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. 

Send us ([email protected]) a request from your university email address and basic information about yourself and your university/school. Only recognized university staff can apply for the reduced student rate.

X
Architecture competitions newsletter
Absolutely not! You’ll always keep full ownership and authorship of your project. Submitting to a Buildner competition doesn’t mean giving up your rights — it simply gives us permission to share and promote your work as part of the competition. We may feature your project on our website, social media, newsletters, books, or exhibitions — all to celebrate your creativity and inspire others. This permission helps us give your work the visibility it deserves, without needing to ask you each time we publish it.
Click on "register now", fill in all the required fields, choose your payment method and submit your information. You will be forwarded to Paypal or CPS secure payment gateway, to cover the competition fee. Once we receive your payment, we'll send you an email with your username and password to upload your submission directly to the website.
You can add/remove/edit team member information as often as you want in the upload panel, up until the submission deadline.
Yes we are in the process of negotiating with multiple international industry-related media representatives. The list of media partners is constantly updated on our website, please check it regularly to find latest updates.
No. Competition entries are evaluated anonymously. The participant registration type is only revealed upon the announcement of the results.
Please contact us – [email protected] and we will address the problem directly.
The short answer is yes, you may submit a previously published design concept as long as you are the author. Before re-submitting your project, please carefully read the following clarification points listed here - architecturecompetitions.com/resubmit-your-design
As AI-generated images may be based on pre-existing work or generated using proprietary algorithms, it is best to check the specific terms and conditions of the AI tool used to generate the image to determine its ownership status. It may also be necessary to seek legal advice to fully understand the ownership rights and any restrictions that may apply. In general, it is not recommended to consider AI-generated images as your sole work or intellectual property unless you have obtained explicit permission to do so.
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Testimonials

Join our growing list of
over 1,157 winners

For us, architecture competitions are an opportunity to grow both professionally and personally. They provide a chance to explore diverse topics, take on new challenges, and stay creative beyond academic work. Competitions also allow us to connect with the wider architectural community while giving us the joy of designing and creating something new and meaningful.

Architecture competitions are one of the best ways to explore design and test ideas against those of other talented architects. Analysing the results and comparing different proposals is an excellent way to learn from other perspectives and gain inspiration from innovative ideas. Competitions also offer a unique opportunity to challenge ourselves on the international stage and push our own limits. We select sites and briefs according to the themes we wish to study and develop, treating them as a personal training ground for experimentation.

We participate in architecture competitions because they offer a unique and essential platform to experiment with ideas beyond the constraints of traditional practice. Competitions are critical for fostering speculative thinking, allowing us to explore alternative design languages and ontologies that might not be feasible in conventional, budget-driven projects. Ultimately, we are driven by the desire to challenge design norms and unlock new creative opportunities, letting our imaginations lead us to truly captivating spaces and innovative design ideas. This process of ambitious exploration and unconstrained problem-solving is what makes competitions an excellent platform to showcase our interests and push the boundaries of design.

2ND PRIZE
Authors

Aleksandra Zofia Forystek, Min Kyu Kim, and Zehua He from the United States!

My regular participation in idea competitions maintains the in-depth conceptual dimension of architectural work. This practice is also nourished by creating micro-architecture installations for contemporary art festivals. These experiences generate a continuous dynamic of experimentation, research, and reflection.

We take part in architectural competitions to test our design visions in various geographical and cultural contexts and each time learn something new about the world we live in.

LOCAL was first founded around architecture competitions, as they offer complete freedom and a clear opportunity to go beyond the brief, enabling new approaches that are rarely possible within the standard architectural process.


We participate in architecture competitions to challenge ourselves and step outside of our routine work. It’s refreshing to design freely, without the constraints of client demands, and to test our own ideas and skills. Competitions are also a valuable exercise, allowing us to compare our approach and understanding of a project with architects from around the world, and to reflect on what we did well and where we can improve.

The team joined this competition as an opportunity to explore new typologies, contexts, and ideas beyond their usual areas of practice. They view competitions as a testing ground for innovative designs, material explorations, and fresh approaches to shaping the built environment.

Architecture competitions provide a rare opportunity to explore ideas freely and test concepts without the constraints of a typical commission. They allow us to challenge norms, push creative boundaries, and engage with pressing questions through design. Beyond this, competitions offer a way to connect with the global architectural dialogue, share our voice, and grow both professionally and intellectually.

We see architecture competitions as the most democratic tool to ensure meritocracy in the profession, allowing quality to prevail over individual interests. They represent one of the best ways to guarantee higher standards in the built environment, which is why we continue to participate.

Celebrate your idea. Register today!