The New York High Falls Riverfront Market competition invites architects, designers, and creative thinkers to imagine a new civic destination within the evolving landscape of Rochester’s future High Falls State Park.

Located along the dramatic Genesee River gorge in western New York State, the project site sits within one of the city’s most historically significant industrial and natural landscapes — a place where waterfalls, infrastructure, public space, and industrial heritage converge.

Waterfall in New York.

[Image above] High Falls is the 96-foot waterfall that gave rise to the city of Rochester and powered its industrial growth for more than a century. Today, the falls remain the defining landmark of the future High Falls State Park and the broader riverfront transformation reconnecting Rochester with the Genesee River gorge. The New York High Falls Riverfront Market competition site is located within this evolving landscape at the Smokestack Portal — one of the future gateway sites connecting the city to the park and riverfront below.

Architecture for Connection.

Presented by Buildner in partnership with AIA Rochester as part of its annual Designers Unleashed initiative, together with Community Design Rochester and Future Reality Services, the competition explores how architecture can contribute to the transformation of Rochester’s riverfront into a contemporary public landscape centered around gathering, culture, and everyday urban life.
[Image above] The New York High Falls Riverfront Market competition site is located along the edge of the Genesee River gorge within the future High Falls State Park. The image illustrates the relationship between the competition site, the historic smokestack landmark, and High Falls itself further upstream — highlighting the broader riverfront landscape and network of future public connections shaping Rochester’s evolving waterfront transformation.
Participants are asked to design a contemporary riverfront market together with the surrounding public space at the Smokestack Portal site — one of the future entry points into High Falls State Park. The proposal should function as both an active public destination and a gateway into the future park system while responding carefully to the site’s dramatic topography, industrial identity, and relationship to the Genesee River gorge.

New Market. New Gateway.

[Images above] The New York High Falls Riverfront Market competition site occupies a prominent riverfront location within the future High Falls State Park along the edge of the Genesee River gorge. The images illustrate the existing site conditions, including the historic industrial smokestack landmark, surrounding infrastructure, adjacent public trails, and the open landscape designated for future redevelopment.
The smokestack remains one of the defining visual elements of the site and serves as a reminder of Rochester’s industrial relationship with the riverfront. Together, the site’s dramatic topography, industrial remnants, and proximity to the gorge establish the unique character and spatial conditions shaping the future transformation of the High Falls district.

Open to all. Register now.

The competition welcomes participants of all backgrounds—no professional qualifications required.

The competition is conducted in English. Download the brief for full details and guidelines.

Brief

The competition brief is available for download at any time in the following languages: English, Italian, French, and Spanish.

FULL COMPETITION BRIEF [ENG] [IT] [FR] [ES]

  • SITE, CAD & PHOTOS
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Jury

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]

Michael Maltzan

Michael Maltzan Architecture

United States

Anne Cecilie Haug

Senior Architect, Snøhetta

Norway

Flora Lee

Associate Partner, MAD Architects

USA

Dawn Noto

Community Design Rochester

United States

Bill Price

Community Design Rochester

United States

Colin Thompson

AIA Rochester, CPL

United States

Daniela Holt Voith

Voith & Mactavish Architects

United States

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The brief

Interpretation and intent of the competition brief

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Key themes, priorities, or values considered during evaluation

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General design approach or conceptual direction

Personal design assessment

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.

Prizes

Total prize Fund

10,000 USD

1ST PLACE

5,000 USD

2ND PLACE

2,500 USD

3RD PLACE

1,000 USD

Student award

1,000 USD

Sustainability award

500 USD

Honorable mentions

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

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Registration fees

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EARLY BIRD

24 May - 29 Jul

110 €

90 €

ADVANCED

30 Jul - 07 Oct

120 €

110 €

LAST MINUTE

08 Oct - 10 Dec

140 €

120 €

EARLY BIRD

24 May - 29 Jul

110 €

90 €

ADVANCED

30 Jul - 07 Oct

120 €

110 €

LAST MINUTE

08 Oct - 10 Dec

140 €

120 €

EARLY BIRD

24 May - 29 Jul

110 €

90 €

ADVANCED

30 Jul - 07 Oct

120 €

110 €

LAST MINUTE

08 Oct - 10 Dec

140 €

120 €

+4.5% VAT

 

STUDENT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS


Contact us to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. Send us request from your university email address along with basic information about yourself and your university/school. Please note that only recognized university staff can apply for the reduced student rate.

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Ask questions to the jury panel directly!

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.

Ask to all.
One collective jury answer
Ask a
specific jury member
Ask questions about

The brief

Interpretation and intent of the competition brief

Your task

Key themes, priorities, or values considered during evaluation

Design help

General design approach or conceptual direction

Absolutely not! You’ll always keep full ownership and authorship of your project. Submitting to a Buildner competition doesn’t mean giving up your rights — it simply gives us permission to share and promote your work as part of the competition. We may feature your project on our website, social media, newsletters, books, or exhibitions — all to celebrate your creativity and inspire others. This permission helps us give your work the visibility it deserves, without needing to ask you each time we publish it.
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
Yes we are in the process of negotiating with multiple international industry-related media representatives. The list of media partners is constantly updated on our website, please check it regularly to find latest updates.
Yes. If the jury panel selects a Student award's submission for the top 3, it will automatically be awarded both prizes.
Yes. If the jury panel selects a Sustainability award's submission for the top 3, it will automatically be awarded both prizes.
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.
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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Architecture competitions allow me to delve into something that I would normally would not be involved in within my professional work. It allows me to be creative and challenges me to think in new and exciting ways, giving me a sense of satisfaction that I would otherwise not get. It’s an opportunity to investigate, research and come up with solutions in an environment that allows for innovation, and at times without the restraints that stifle new imagined realities.

I take part in competitions to share my work and vision with a wider audience.

HONORABLE MENTION

I haven't participated to many, actually ver few. I don't have enough time and resources for it. However, I see them as a great opportunity to showcase your work and compare it with that of colleagues from other countries. Honestly, it is also a chance to recover part of the investment you make while creating something and to get more visibility.

HONORABLE MENTION

We participate in architecture competitions because they provide an opportunity to explore ideas beyond the limits of academic projects. Competitions encourage us to experiment with new concepts, challenge conventional thinking, and respond to real-world social and environmental issues. They also allow us to exchange ideas with the international design community and continuously improve our design skills through research and critical thinking.

We are entering a competition for the first time with several goals in mind: to challenge ourselves in developing new projects, to share our approach to design…We are entering a competition for the first time with several goals in mind: to challenge ourselves in developing new projects, to share our approach to design with a wider audience, and to receive critical feedback from external professionals in the field. We also find it particularly stimulating to engage with different design approaches, from which we can draw new inspiration and learn.

I participate in competitions to give myself an opportunity to creatively explore my ideas, while pushing boundaries of what is possible. I believe that it is important to challenge oneself to truly learn and grow.

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

I believe that architectural competitions serve as a platform for exchanging diverse opinions around a single theme. That is why I am participating, striving to broaden the diversity of thought and create a new framework that breaks away from stereotypes.

To develop an idea that exists only as a sketch, with no client and no commercial brief behind it, and to get feedback from people I would not otherwise reach. A competition gives that a deadline and a destination.

Because it's the best way to test your creativity to the fullest without limitations.

Just as climbers ascend a mountain because it is there, architects participate in competitions because there are questions worth contemplating and researching. I also take part in this process to gain new insights, refine my ideas, and share the results with others. I have been inspired by the work and writings of many people, and I have continued my architectural journey based on those influences. With the hope that my ideas may, in turn, inspire someone else, I will continue to pursue architecture.

HONORABLE MENTION
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