Create identity Define experience

Total prize

500,000 €

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 €, 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
Available REGISTRATIONS: 65% REMAINING

Brief

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

Full Competition Brief

  • Apendix Dubai Urban Vision
  • Site Photographs
Download brief

Meet your jury

Currently, the jury panel for the Dubai Urban Elements Design Challenge Architecture Competition has not yet been published. However, you can see the jury panels from previous competitions at the following link: https://architecturecompetitions.com/guest-jury 

Buildner is committed to selecting the most qualified industry professionals to comprise its jury panels. These panels consist of architects and professionals from other relevant fields to ensure the most objective competition results. All communication regarding the competition should only be carried out with Buildner staff. For any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

Prizes

Total prize Fund

500,000 €

1ST PLACE

250,000 €

2ND PLACE

140,000 €

3RD PLACE

50,000 €

6 honorable mentions

10,000 € each

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 application 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.

Registration fee

PRE-REGISTRATION

March 10 - April 3

Free

full award package

Limited availability until all registrations are used. Open to all, regardless of professional or educational qualifications or location.
Available registrations:
65% remaining
remaining availability is updated every 24 hours
Register now
REGISTRATION

April 4 - May 7

Bidding

full award package

Limited availability for participants. To be considered, applicants must submit a bid outlining their background and why they are qualified to enter the competition.
There is no registration fee to participate in this competition. However, all participants are required to complete an account verification process. As part of Buildner’s KYC protocol, team members must verify their accounts on Architects’ Network after registration. This verification process includes a 4.95 € fee, which must be paid through Architects’ Network, utilizing a certified third-party verification service to ensure the security and authenticity of participant information.

FAQ

Contact us for more questions
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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