Introduction

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
Museum of 
Emotions

Buildner is thrilled to announce the results of the fifth edition of its Museum of Emotions Competition!

This annual event invites participants to explore how architecture can evoke emotions, challenging them to design a museum with two contrasting exhibition halls: one inducing positive emotions and the other evoking negative ones. Participants had complete freedom to choose the site—real or imagined—and scale of their project, as well as their interpretation of emotional dichotomies such as fear and love or happiness and anxiety.

The competition, part of Buildner’s silent series, required submissions to communicate solely through visuals, without text, captions, or annotations.

Buildner worked with a distinguished international jury panel to evaluate the entries: Bartosz Haduch, an architect, teacher, and publicist leading the interdisciplinary collective NArchitekTURA in Poland; Lydia Kallipoliti, an architect, engineer, and scholar who serves as Associate Professor directing the MS in Advanced Architectural Design at Columbia University GSAPP and Principal of ANAcycle thinktank; Jürgen Mayer H., founding partner of J.MAYER.H und Partner in Germany; Nuno Pimenta, an architect based in Porto, Portugal, whose transdisciplinary practice spans temporary architecture, installations, public art, exhibition design, and performance; Françoise N’Thépé, head of the Paris-based practice FRANÇOISE N’THÉPÉ ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN; Stephanie Deumer, a Canadian visual artist currently living and working in Los Angeles; Julien de Smedt, founder of Brussels-based JDS Architects; and Lei Zheng, an associate at Zaha Hadid Architects in China. Buildner extends its gratitude to the jury for their expertise and to all participants for their outstanding contributions.

Buildner and its jury panel thank each participant for submitting to this event, which received outstanding entries from around the globe!



Outstanding submissions to this competition series have been curated in a publication by Buildner Books: "Architectural Emotions: Designing Experiences That Provoke Feelings" delves into the intricate relationship between architecture and the spectrum of human emotions. It explores how spaces can profoundly influence our feelings, from serenity and joy to anxiety and melancholy, through the use of light, layout, materials, and more.

We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise

Bartosz Haduch

NArchitekTURA

Poland

Françoise N’Thépé

Françoise N'THEPE - Architecture & Design

France

Julien De Smedt

JDS Architects

Denmark

Lydia Kallipoliti

Tallin Architecture Biennale, ANAcycle thinktank

USA

Nuno Pimenta

NUNO PIMENTA

Portugal

Jürgen Mayer H

founding partner of J.MAYER.H und Partner

Germany

Stephanie Deumer

Visual Artist

USA

Lei Zheng

Zaha Hadid Architects

UK

Enter the next competition edition
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #6 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.

1st Prize Winner +
Buildner Student Award

Project name

Beautifully Cruel

Every time I see the themes of a new architectural competition, I get so hyped up. It's really fun to come up with new ideas and see the ideas of other participants around the world. Sometimes, even if the ideas seem impossible to realize, I believe it’s the best opportunity to let our imagination run wild.

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University
Sangmyung University
Authors
Minseok Choi
Jang Doyeong
Country
South Korea
+172 points Buildner University Rankings
  • 7/10 Linework
  • 9/10 Quality of drawings
  • 10/10 Balance of color
  • 7/10 Layout
  • 6/10 Hierarchy
  • N/A Annotation
  • N/A Text
  • 9/10 Clarity of story
  • 7/10 Clarity of diagrams
  • 8/10 Quality of overall presentation

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

BORDERLINE

For young architects, there are many challenges to overcome when trying to put their design concepts into practice. However, we want to showcase our innovative ideas, and architectural competitions provide a great opportunity to present our creativity and thinking.

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Authors
Hongyang Deng
蔡 映雪
Jianing Guo
Country
China
  • 8/10 Linework
  • 10/10 Quality of drawings
  • 10/10 Balance of color
  • 8/10 Layout
  • 9/10 Hierarchy
  • N/A Annotation
  • N/A Text
  • 9/10 Clarity of story
  • 7/10 Clarity of diagrams
  • 9/10 Quality of overall presentation

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

WITH (IN)

Architecture competitions allow us to step away from the grounded world, as they offer the freedom to explore innovative ideas and push creative boundaries that are often not possible in traditional projects.

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University
Florida International University
Authors
Thomas Santiago Tovar Lozano
Samantha Rodriguez
Country
United States
+72 points Buildner University Rankings
  • 7/10 Linework
  • 9/10 Quality of drawings
  • N/A Balance of color
  • 6/10 Layout
  • 9/10 Hierarchy
  • N/A Annotation
  • N/A Text
  • 9/10 Clarity of story
  • 9/10 Clarity of diagrams
  • 8/10 Quality of overall presentation

Honorable Mentions

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Project name

Home

Competitions offer me opportunities to explore new contexts and challenges outside of my daily professional settings. These are great times to reflect not only on proposal ideas but also my design thinking over the years.

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Author
Manh Le Tran
Country
United States
Project name

Spectrum

Participating in architecture competitions allows us to break free from the routine of everyday practical projects, providing a creative outlet and an opportunity to push the boundaries of conventional thinking. These competitions challenge us to think innovatively, refine our software skills, and deepen our research-based approaches, all of which contribute significantly to our professional growth. They also keep us motivated and energized in ways that regular work often cannot.

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Author
Shraddha Nepal
Country
United Kingdom
Project name

The Origami

Participating in architecture competitions offers several key benefits, both personally and professionally. Competitions provide an opportunity to explore bold, innovative ideas without the typical constraints of client demands or project limitations. This creative freedom allows architects to push boundaries, experiment with new concepts, and challenge conventional thinking.

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Author
Yang Wu
Country
United Kingdom
Project name

Change One Thing

Author
Nina Kuka
Country
Germany
Project name

ocean | cliff

We decided to participate in this competition to challenge ourselves and explore new ideas in a collaborative setting. Working in a team allows us to learn from each other's perspectives and build stronger bonds. Additionally, this idea competition encourages us to think outside the box and showcase our creativity without the constraints of practical considerations.

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University
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Authors
Ho Chi Kwan
Ching Lam Chu
Hoi Wah Wan
Ka Ying Choi
Country
Hong Kong
+72 points Buildner University Rankings
Project name

EN EL CAMINO

I participate in competitions to explore ideas. Bernard Tschumi famously said that you must either practice your theories or theorize your practice, and I believe that practicing your theories is crucial to truly understanding the ideas themselves. In this case, we used the brief to explore the emotions we felt about the border between Mexico and the United States. Initially, the ambiguity left us feeling dazed, but through the design process, we gradually began to understand what it means to be an immigrant in the United States.

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University
The University of Texas at Arlington, UT Arlington, UTA
Authors
Cristian Ernesto Madrid
Kevin Omar Negrete
Country
United States
+72 points Buildner University Rankings

Shortlisted projects

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Sattva (Purity)

Sean Edward Christenson

Thomas Jefferson University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

EN EL CAMINO

Cristian Ernesto Madrid
Kevin Omar Negrete

The University of Texas at Arlington, UT Arlington, UTA

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

From Uncertainty to Serenity

Adrianna Kowalczyk

Warsaw University of Technology , Politechnika Warszawska

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

History of beauty, accepting unpleasant

Miji Han
South Korea

The light at the end of the tunnel

Miral Hatem Hussien Ahmed
Zeyad Mohamed Hassan Elrawy
Zeina Tamer Mohamed Abdelgelil Abouhamar

The Knowledge Hub Universities, Coventry University Branch in Egypt

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Egypt

Delta

Georgi Aleksanyan
Armenia

Shadow of Desire

Yiwei Chen
United States

DATUM

Gianna Maria Bellizzi
United States

DISGUISED VERTICALITY

David Pedersen
Norway

Beautifully Cruel

Minseok Choi
Jang Doyeong
South Korea

BORDERLINE

Hongyang Deng
蔡 映雪
Jianing Guo
China

ocean | cliff

Ho Chi Kwan
Ching Lam Chu
Hoi Wah Wan
Ka Ying Choi

Chinese University of Hong Kong

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
Hong Kong

EXIT

Kwun Wing Wong
Hong Kong

UNDERNEATH THE LIVELINESS

Thanatorn Chanvirat
Arnat Tammatorn
Thailand

ATHENS MUSEUM OF EMOTIONS

Nikolaos Mavridis
Greece

A Breath of Nature

Omar Lachgar

International University of Rabat, UIR – Université Internationale de Rabat

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Morocco

Mono No Aware

Deniz Kantar
Yade Sila Kahraman
Almir Can Sínanoğlu
Turkey

Spectrum

Shraddha Nepal
United Kingdom

Home

Manh Le Tran
United States

The allegory of the cave

Mariana Miranda Baliscei
Luana Nishida Toninatto
Vinicius Cavasin De Souza
Joao Pedro Moreli

Lar arquitetura

Brazil

Espiral

Daniel Beato
Spain

Change One Thing

Nina Kuka
Germany

Realm of Flux

Xin Lin

University of Westminster

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
China

The Floor

Jeyoon Yeon
Kyungryul Maeng
Kim Hyunji
South Korea

What hues define you today?

Kim Mark Eum
South Korea

Entry

Ayşe Idil Kaya
Achraf Azarou

Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Hungary

Reflective Duality

Ho-Chi Leung
United States

WITH (IN)

Thomas Santiago Tovar Lozano
Samantha Rodriguez

Florida International University

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

Rán

Bosse Hickman

RWTH Aachen University, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Germany

White Cloud

Bing Li
Jack Li
United States

Beneath the Gloom, Beyond the Bloom

Lina Wang
United States

The Light We Carry

Abraham Chintianto
Ferry Gunawan
Indonesia

The Origami

Yang Wu
United Kingdom

Urban Stratum

Lee Sera
Beomki Hwang
South Korea

GRIETA

Samuel Barcenas Suarez
Marina Edurne Morales Zuniga
Bahar Al Bahar
Mexico

Labyrinth-CC

Samuel Barcenas Suarez
Marina Edurne Morales Zuniga
Bahar Al Bahar
Switzerland

Wallow

Felbertson Bombales Sotto
Philippines

Transcending the Self: Emotions in a Post-Human Future

Param Narendrakumar Patel
Milindsinh Solanki
United States

Between moment and history

Agnieszka Barbara Skorupka

Rodeo arkitekter

Norway

[RIG]GED

Alexander J Montanile
Deonante M Sutton
Benjamin Romo

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States