Create identity Define experience

Total prize

500,000 €

2,000,000 AED

This competition, is part of a strategic partnership between Buildner and ArchDaily.

Learn more

The power of small-scale architecture

What truly gives a city its identity? Is it the towering skyline, or the spaces where people pause, gather, and connect? Cities are not merely built; they are felt — experienced in the subtle details that shape daily life. It’s in the rhythm of pathways, the shade of a structure, the curve of a bridge, and the quiet moments of interaction that the essence of a city unfolds. These small-scale architectural forms, often overlooked, are the threads that weave together the vast urban fabric — giving depth, meaning, and identity to the places we inhabit.

While grand landmarks may define a skyline, it’s the human-scale elements that shape how we move, how we connect, and how we remember a place. These forms guide footsteps, foster community, and craft the everyday narratives that give a city its soul.

Dubai is a city of ambition — a global symbol of innovation, culture, and rapid evolution. Yet, as it continues to expand and redefine itself, Dubai now turns its focus inward, seeking meaning not only in iconic structures but in the spaces that shape daily life. It looks to the in-between — the bridges, pathways, and gathering spaces — to strengthen its urban identity and connect its communities.

Dubai:
city in constant transformation

A competition to shape the city

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), under the leadership of the Dubai Government, in collaboration with Buildner, presents an international design competition inviting architects, designers, and visionaries to rethink the small-scale elements that shape Dubai’s public spaces. This initiative calls for a reimagining of human-scale architecture, focusing on the everyday details that foster community, enhance urban life, and contribute to the city’s evolving identity.
Participants are challenged to develop a cohesive design concept across seven distinct zones, each with its own unique character, density, and rhythm. The aim is to craft thoughtful, context-driven solutions that strengthen Dubai’s urban fabric while responding to the specific needs and identities of each zone.

Seven zones

A call for visionary design

This is a call to design the details that shape the city’s everyday life — the human-scale forms that connect people to place and contribute to Dubai’s urban identity. We seek visionary, functional, and context-sensitive solutions that blend creativity with cultural awareness, sustainability, and public engagement.
The competition offers a total prize fund of 500,000 € (2,000,000 AED), recognizing outstanding proposals that successfully respond to the challenge. It is free to enter and open to all, regardless of professional qualifications or experience. This is an invitation to think beyond the monumental, shape the everyday, and help define the future of one of the world’s most ambitious cities.

Pre-registration: Free. Join now!

ends in
7 days, 24 hours, 13 min, 24 sec

Brief

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

Full Competition Brief

  • Site Photographs
  • Appendix Urban Vision
Download brief

Meet your jury

Sirine Kalache, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority
Varkki George Pallathucheril, American University of Sharjah
Shaikha AlShaikh, Roads & Transport Authority
Salma Al Shamsi, RTA Dubai


Sirine Kalache is a seasoned Urban Planner and Project Manager with over 20 years of experience across the UAE, Lebanon, and Canada. Currently a Chief Specialist at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, she leads sustainable urban and mobility initiatives. With a Master’s in Planning from the University of Toronto and a background in architecture, Sirine has delivered major projects like the Desert Rose Smart City and Business Bay Peninsula. She is fluent in Arabic, English, and French, and is passionate about people-centric and sustainable urban design.

Varkki George Pallathucheril is a distinguished academic and urban planning expert with over three decades of experience in teaching, research, and professional practice. He currently serves as Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah, where he has led numerous academic and planning initiatives since 2007. Holding a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University, Dr. Pallathucheril has held prominent academic positions at leading institutions, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research spans urban design methods, planning support systems, and spatial analysis, with extensive publications in renowned journals. He has also directed large-scale funded research and consulting projects in the U.S. and UAE, contributing significantly to regional planning, smart cities, and educational innovation.

Shaikha AlShaikh is a civil engineer with more than 10 years of experience in the Government and Private Sector in Project Design & Construction Management for Mega Projects. She oversaw project planning, feasibility, budgeting and nancing for projects worth AED 30 Billion. She's a PhD Candidate, and holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management. She started her career in consultancy, working on diverse water and infrastructure projects that range from master planning to detailed design and execution in the UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Mauritius and Libya as a civil engineer and project manager. She now works in the Roads & Transport Authority, and manages numerous teams driving key strategic projects to enhance the quality of life in the Emirate of Dubai.

Salma Al Shamsi is an accomplished Emirati architect and urban strategist with over 18 years of experience in public sector infrastructure and landscape development. She currently serves as the Roads Landscaping Manager at RTA Dubai, where she leads high-profile urban and road beautification projects, including the Infinity Bridge and Dubai Water Canal. Salma holds a Master’s degree in City Science from RIT Dubai and a Bachelor’s in Architectural Engineering from UAE University. A certified project manager and organizational leader, she is a board member of the UAE CSR Association and an active contributor to various urban and heritage planning societies. Her work is grounded in strategic planning, quality management, and urban transformation.


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] 

Prizes

Total prize Fund

500,000 €

2,000,000 AED
1ST PLACE

250,000 €

1,000,000 AED
2ND PLACE

140,000 €

560,000 AED
3RD PLACE

50,000 €

200,000 AED
6 honorable mentions

10,000 € each

40,000 AED X 6

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
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Eligibility

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.

Key dates

Send reminders
Closing date for registration
7 May 2025
Competition Q&A deadline
12 May 2025

In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants.

No new questions will be answered after this deadline.

Closing date for project submission
28 May 2025
23:59 (LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners
1 July 2025
Competition Q&A deadline
12 May 2025

In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants.

No new questions will be answered after this deadline.

FAQ

Contact us for more questions
You must design for all seven zones. The competition requires proposals that demonstrate how a unified design system adapts across the diverse urban contexts defined in each zone.
No, you are not required to design every listed element. The items in the brief (e.g. bridges, lighting, signage) are recommendations, not mandatory. What is required is the creation of a flexible design system that can generate multiple types of elements, even if only some are fully visualized. Ideally, each zone should include at least 3–5 developed elements that explain how the system is constructed, how it adapts to that context, and how it could be extended to other elements not shown.
No, technical drawings are not required. The submission should be conceptual but technically grounded and feasible. The goal is to clearly communicate the design intent and logic, not detailed construction documentation. Use renderings, diagrams, or simplified views to convey construction thinking if needed.
Yes, this is acceptable as long as the design system is clearly adaptable and contextually adjusted for each zone. However, showing a range of related elements (like lighting + signage + seating) will better demonstrate the versatility and value of your system.
Yes, if two zones share similar characteristics (e.g. Zones 1 and 2), you may present a shared design strategy, but you must still show how the design system is aware of each zone’s identity. All seven zones must be addressed in the proposal.
No, you are not required to propose site-specific placements. The zones are typological, not tied to fixed plots. You may create conceptual or hypothetical urban scenes that reflect the zone’s character.
No, the provided color palettes are suggestive, not mandatory. You may use your own color strategy if it suits your design logic and remains consistent across the presentation.
Submissions must include four (4) A2 landscape panels: Panel 1: General design strategy, system concept, and methodology. Panels 2–4: Application of the system across the seven zones, showing how it generates and adapts different elements. Each panel must be submitted in JPEG format, under 10 MB, and remain anonymous.
Yes, you may include maps or diagrams from the provided Dubai Urban Masterplan or Urban Analysis documents, as long as they are integrated into your design and clearly cited (e.g., “Source: Dubai Urban Masterplan 2040”).
No. No DWG, CAD, or 3D model files of Dubai are provided. Participants may use publicly available tools like satellite images or mapping platforms to define conceptual site contexts as needed.
No specific budget is set, but designs should be practical, constructible, and materially realistic. While not detailed in cost, your concept should reflect a reasonable level of feasibility.
Yes, you can include all explanations and narratives directly on the panels. There is no separate written report required. Ensure that text on panels is concise, legible, and clearly communicates the design logic.
No. All submissions are processed anonymously through the platform. A code is automatically assigned during submission. Do not include any identifying names, logos, or marks on your panels.
Yes. The jury process is strictly anonymous. Identifying information on your submission may result in disqualification.
It is recommended to show how the element behaves as a system, which often involves repetition or modularity. One detailed instance is acceptable if it is accompanied by diagrams or visuals that explain scalability and deployment logic.
Yes, the list in the brief is not exhaustive. You may include other urban elements (e.g., water fountains, bike repair stations, information boards, kiosks, etc.) if they fit your overall design strategy.
Yes, showing a representative typology (e.g., one street, plaza, or corner) per zone is encouraged. The goal is to demonstrate how your system operates in each urban context, not to map the entire zone.
Yes, contextual renderings and hypothetical site scenarios are acceptable. You may create imagined urban settings to show how your elements would integrate spatially and functionally.
There are no fixed size limits or ratios defined in the brief. However, elements should remain human-scaled, modular, and suitable for public space. Oversized, building-scale structures are not appropriate for this competition.
Yes, combining zones with similar spatial or social characteristics is acceptable, provided that the distinct qualities of each zone are still addressed through spatial or programmatic differentiation. You are not required to assign a separate site for every zone if your design logic unifies them clearly.
Yes, you may change or reinterpret the pavement material and textures as part of your design strategy. This is encouraged if it enhances integration, identity, and usability within your proposed system. Material changes should remain technically feasible and context-sensitive.
Yes, you are allowed to include 3D printing or modular fabrication techniques in your proposal. This can be part of your design system logic, though it is not required and no physical models are part of the submission.
While not formally required, your design should consider key urban design principles, including: Accessibility, Climate resilience (heat, sun, sand), Public safety Durability and maintenance. These criteria help ground your proposal in realistic and implementable thinking.
The material recommendations in the brief are contextual references, not requirements. You may propose alternative or heavier materials—especially for monuments or functional structures—if they align with your design logic and the zone’s identity.
No, there is no restriction on the number of visuals or diagrams per panel. You are free to include as many visuals as needed, provided the layout remains clear, legible, and visually balanced within the A2 format.
Yes, landscape features may be included to support and contextualize your elements. However, your primary focus should remain on the urban architectural elements, with landscape features serving as supportive context, not the main design scope.
No specific methods are prescribed, but your proposal should reflect technically plausible installation strategies (e.g., bolted bases, embedded footings). This can be shown conceptually through diagrams or exploded views—detailed construction documents are not required.
Yes, using a base element that transforms in configuration or layout across different zones is encouraged. This demonstrates the scalability and modularity of your system and aligns with the goal of adaptable, zone-responsive design.
Yes, you may reference external studies (e.g., climate, mobility, demographics) to support your design rationale. These references should be briefly cited directly on the panels, in a way that maintains anonymity and integrates visually into the layout.
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.
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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