International architecture competition
Bellano · Lake Como · Italy
A new cultural chapter for an industrial landmark on Lake Como.
The stone building of the former Cantoni cotton mill in Bellano, cut out against the sky as on the competition brief cover. Dusk falls and its windows light up floor by floor, then every window the pointer passes.
On the eastern shore of Lake Como in Bellano, Italy, the former Cantoni Cotton Mill holds the memory of a town shaped by industry. Its buildings once housed the production that supported generations of local life. Today, this industrial landmark offers an opportunity to imagine a new cultural chapter.
The Bellano Cotton Mill Museum competition invites participants to transform the smaller building within the historic complex into a museum and cultural destination. The challenge is to explore how architecture can preserve a sense of place while creating space for new ideas, encounters and experiences.
What stories could this museum tell? Participants are free to define their own curatorial vision, drawing on industrial heritage, local history, art, contemporary culture or the surrounding landscape. Proposals should bring this vision into conversation with the existing building, considering how spaces, materials and light can shape the visitor experience.
The museum is envisioned as a first step towards the wider renewal of the cotton mill complex. While the architectural focus remains on the museum building, participants are encouraged to consider its connections to Bellano, the lakefront and surrounding public spaces. The ambition is to create a welcoming destination for residents and visitors, giving the former mill a renewed role in the life of the town.
The mill
Open to all. No professional qualifications are required. Enter individually or as a team, and bring your boldest idea for a new cultural destination on Lake Como.
The official language of the competition is English. All communication is carried out in English.
The full competition brief can be downloaded as often as required; no additional information will be provided after registration.
What stories could this museum tell?
The jury panel for Bellano Cotton Mill Museum architecture competition has not yet been published. Buildner is committed to selecting the most qualified industry professionals to comprise its jury panels. These panels include architects and experts from related fields to ensure fair and objective evaluation of all entries. All communication regarding the competition should be directed exclusively to Buildner staff.
Explore some of the names featured in previous Buildner competition jury panels:
Norman Foster Foundation
Spain
Creator
France
Farshid Moussavi Architecture (FMA)
United Kingdom
Alison Brooks Architects
UK
Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
China
MVRDV
Netherlands
Founder, AL_A
Founding Partner, Mecanoo
Netherlands
Founder and Principle, UNStudio
Netherlands
Adjaye Associates
UK
Fernanda Canales
Mexico
OMA -Office for Metropolitan Architecture
Netherlands
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
United States
Interiors Principal, SOM
USA
Founder, ArchDaily
Germany
Partner at Foster + Partners
UAE
Director of Zaha Hadid Architects
UK
Director, Zaha Hadid Architects
UK
Director, Zaha Hadid Architects
UK
Director, Zaha Hadid Architects
UK
Director of Zaha Hadid Architects
UK
Michael Maltzan Architecture
United States
Olson Kundig
United States
Steven Holl Architects - SHA
China
Grimshaw
United Kingdom
Snøhetta
Norway
Director, Snøhetta
Norway
Managing Partner at SOM
USA
Partner at MVRDV
Netherlands
Studio Fuksas
Italy
Founder, MVRDV
Netherlands
Associate Partner, MAD Architects
USA
Partner at BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group
USA
BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group
Denmark
Director, MIT Senseable City Lab
USA
Calatrava Grace and Calatrava International
UAE
Studio Seilern Architects
UK
Partner, MVRDV
Netherlands
Director of Graduate Studies, PhD Program, School of Architecture, Princeton University
United States
Architect and Professor at TU Berlin
Germany
Safdie Architects
USA
Founder and Partner, Peter Pichler Architecture
Italy
Practice for architecture and urbanism: PAU
USA
TenBerke Architects
USA
JDS Architects
Denmark
Princeton University, MOS
USA
Editor in Chief, ArchDaily
Lebanon
This option is available to registered participants only.
If you are registered, please access your upload panel and look for the Jury Questions & Answers section.
Two ways to ask
Ask to all. One collective jury answer
Ask a specific jury member
Ask questions about
Interpretation and intent of the competition brief
Key themes, priorities, or values considered during evaluation
General design approach or conceptual direction
Request an in-depth design assessment of your project after results are announced.
The design assessment highlights each project’s strengths and areas for improvement, giving participants valuable insight into their work. It helps them better understand their submission, compare it to other entries, and identify opportunities for growth in future projects.
Every winning entry takes the complete Buildner award: a title to be proud of, publications that reach millions, a stronger portfolio, and exclusive access to the invitation-only 50,000 € Buildner Medal Award.
Winners of this competition will automatically be included in the annual final, where they will compete for the Buildner Medal Award alongside a limited number of Buildner competition winners.
The Buildner Medal 2027
50,000 €
By invitation only. One life-changing award a year. The invitation is earned here.
Register and submit your project before the deadline.
1st, 2nd or 3rd Prize, or a special award such as the Student or Sustainability Award, depending on the competition.
Invitation sent to every winner. Nothing to submit, nothing to pay.
The jury awards the Buildner Medal among invited projects only.
Four titled winners, six honourable mentions and a forty-strong shortlist.
6
Titled recognition, selected by the jury: a certificate and a permanent results page.
40
Publicly named on the permanent results page, with a certificate of achievement.
Each Record certifies its title and carries the complete winner package: a written jury citation, the ArchDaily feature, the annual book and international media. It also earns an invitation to the 50,000 € Buildner Medal Award
Every entrant, win or not
Portfolio
Guaranteed before the jury ever sits.
Skills
The Bellano Cotton Mill Museum competition is designed to strengthen these skills:
Trained by the brief itself; the optional design assessment turns your submission into structured feedback.
Winning projects have the potential to be realised.
The competition client has expressed interest in constructing the winning project. The site is real, and the awarded proposals go directly to the client's table.
Winning does not guarantee construction; the final decision always rests with the client.
Build your name, attract new clients and partnerships
Publication is guaranteed for every winning entry: online, in print, and across international media.
Winners are showcased on ArchDaily, the world’s most-visited architecture platform, through its partnership with Buildner: visibility that brings new opportunities, clients and reputation.
Winning projects are printed in Buildner’s annual book, a permanent, physical record of the year’s best unbuilt architecture, distributed internationally.
A published interview and a permanent project page on Buildner tell the story in your own words, and stay linkable for as long as your career needs them.
Buildner consolidates prize funds from its individual competitions into one larger, more impactful award given once a year: the 50,000 € Buildner Medal. A prize of that size is truly life-changing. It can start a practice, fund a business, or pay off school loans. Every winning project here earns the invitation.
This international competition is open to architects, artists, and creatives from all backgrounds. Whether you are an emerging talent, an established professional, or exploring a bold new idea, your vision is welcome. All submissions must be completed in English to ensure fair evaluation.
01
Closing date for registration
15 April 2027
02
Competition Q&A deadline
20 April 2027
To ensure equal opportunity for all competition participants, no new questions will be accepted after the questions and answers deadline.
03
Project submission deadline
24 May 2027
23:59 (London time)
04
Announcement of the winners
6 July 2027
8 Oct – 3 Dec
45 € × 3
Full award package
4 Dec – 18 Feb
52 € × 3
Full award package
19 Feb – 15 Apr
55 € × 3
Full award package
+4.5% VAT
This option is available to registered participants only.
If you are registered, please access your upload panel and look for the Jury Questions & Answers section.
Two ways to ask
Ask to all. One collective jury answer
Ask a specific jury member
Ask questions about
Interpretation and intent of the competition brief
Key themes, priorities, or values considered during evaluation
General design approach or conceptual direction
To register, simply click on "Register Now," fill out all necessary fields, select your preferred payment method, and submit your details. You will be redirected to PayPal or a card payment gateway to settle the competition fee. Upon confirmation of your payment, we will send you an email containing your Unique Identification Code (UIC). You must then log in to your Buildner account using your architecture.info credentials and validate your UIC to complete the process. Learn more here - https://architecturecompetitions.com/how-to-enter-a-competition
You can add/remove/edit team member information as often as you want in the upload panel, up until the submission deadline. Learn more here - https://architecturecompetitions.com/how-to-add-team-members-after-april-2023
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
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Registration deadline · 15 April 2027
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