Yong Ding Chang'an Pavilion International Architectural Design Competition
Dezeen Competitions: the Yong Ding Chang'an Pavilion International Architectural Design Competition seeks innovative proposals that optimise landscape connectivity between Beijing's Yongding River Waterfront, Winter Olympics Park, and nearby historical heritage sites.
The international competition serves as a pilot project for the 30th UIA World Congress of Architects, taking place in Beijing in 2029.
Organiser: Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources
Competition: Yong Ding Chang'an Pavilion International Architectural Design Competition, endorsed by the International Union of Architects
Co-organiser: Beijing Institute of Architects
Judges:
- Gaëtan Siew (jury chair), former president of the UIA, ambassador of the Republic of Mauritius to the People's Republic of China
- Charles Waldheim, John E. Irving professor of landscape architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design
- Cui Kai, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, chief scientist at CCTC and chief architect of CADG
- Luis Romahn, CEO of World Urban Parks
- Marianna Rentzou, co-founder of Point Supreme
Submission deadline: 16 November 2026
Winner announcement: will be announced in November 2026
Prizes: the first prize is €35,000, the second prize is €20,000, and the third prize is €10,000. All prize winners will gain a certificate
Competition overview
In 2029, Beijing will host the 30th UIA World Congress of Architects.
Serving as a pilot project, this international project competition centres on the "pavilion" concept through urban architecture, which merges meso-level environmental design and micro-level architectural design.
The competition seeks ecological resilience and climate-responsive strategies to optimise landscape connectivity between the Yongding River Waterfront, Winter Olympics Park, and nearby historical heritage sites, creating an inviting, highly participatory public realm.
Proposals must focus on functional layout, spatial experience, and inserting the pavilion into the site to activate spatial connections between industrial heritage, Olympic memory, and the natural landscape.
Eligibility and judging criteria
The proposals will be judged on:
- Innovation: creating a new spatial benchmark for small-scale public architecture.
- Relevance to local context: harmoniously navigating relationships with surrounding infrastructure, bridges, industrial relics, and historical monuments.
- Function and experience: providing user-friendly service features paired with an engaging spatial experience.
- Sustainability: effectively applying green technologies and ecological strategies.
- Feasibility: demonstrating a reasonable structure and cost with realistic potential for construction and operation by the 2029 UIA Beijing Congress.
The competition is open to individual young architects or teams worldwide. All authors/team leaders must be born on or after 16 November 1986.
The author or team leader must hold the right to use the title of architect in their country of origin or residence.
Multidisciplinary teams are highly encouraged. While team leaders must be architects, landscape architects, urban designers, or urban planners may register as authors or co-authors. Specialists from other fields may join as collaborators or consultants.
Students, associates, employees, and close family members of jury members or competition organisers are strictly ineligible.
Submission deadlines
The question and answer window is open until 9 September 2026 (6pm GMT+2). The publication of answers will be open on 16 September 2026.
The registration and submission deadline is 16 November 2026 (6pm GMT+2).
Jury evaluation and results announcement are in November 2026. The date is yet to be announced.
About the Beijing 2029 UIA World Congress of Architects
Under the theme "Back to Balance: Architecture for everyone's better life", the 2029 congress will invite participants to engage in a profound exploration of equilibrium in the context of our rapidly evolving world. It will examine how the built environment can be designed in harmony with technology and society.
As the World Capital of Architecture for 2029, Beijing will host a series of major events and programmes, promoting architecture as a bridge between culture, nature and people.
It will facilitate public learning opportunities, exhibitions, conferences, educational programmes and other events that focus on how the built environment can contribute to more inclusive, sustainable and human-centred urban futures.
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