€500,000 Prize Dubai Urban Elements Challenge Competition Winners

Create identity Define experience

Total prize

500,000 €

2,000,000 AED

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

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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.