International Architectural Competition for the Redevelopment of Elin Pelin Center
Dezeen Competitions: Optimistas' latest competition calls for designers to submit a modern and sustainable proposal that rethinks the urban design of a small Bulgarian town.
Proposals should modernise Elin Pelin, including its city centre and the surrounding area.
This competition is now closed
Competition Consultant: Optimistas
Contracting Authority: Municipality of Elin Pelin
Competition: International Architectural Competition for the Redevelopment of Elin Pelin Center
Judges: yet to be announced
Registration deadline: 4 February 2026
Winner announcement: no later than 24 March 2026
Prizes: winners of the first prize will be awarded €10,000, while second-place winners will receive €7,000. Third-place winners will receive €3,000, and two honourable mention prizes of €1,000
Competition overview
The Municipality of Elin Pelin's competition calls for ambitious designers to submit a modern, sustainable and attractive urban environment that expresses the town's unique identity.
The competition is divided into two tasks: the conceptual design of zone one and the city centre, and the schematic design of zone two, the surrounding area.
The town of Elin Pelin is situated in the heart of Shopluk, an ethnographic region known for its colourful customs, dialect, folklore, and traditional dress.
The residents of Elin Pelin preserve and celebrate their many traditions. The city centre serves as the heart of public celebrations, hosting events throughout the year, including art exhibitions, markets and seasonal fairs.
Elin Pelin would like to modernise its urban environment to be appealing, accessible and address the current needs of its citizens, while also remaining true to its deep cultural heritage.
Eligibility and judging criteria
All Bulgarian and foreign individuals, legal entities, and associations may enter the competition without restriction.
Participants must include or commit to include licensed designers with full design capacity if ranked among the top three, while jury members, municipal employees, those involved in drafting the brief, sanctioned persons, or Russian nationals and entities are excluded from participation.
The submitted projects should propose zones, spaces, and facilities within the competition area that reflect the town's unique spirit and create inclusive, adaptable places that strengthen the cultural and social potential of the city centre.
The proposals must be well-reasoned and aligned with the specific character and context of Elin Pelin.
They should offer innovative and appropriate solutions that ensure the spaces function year-round, promote social engagement and community participation, provide comfortable pedestrian connections and access, and ensure accessibility for people with mobility, visual, and hearing impairments.
The submitted projects will be evaluated and scored based on the following criteria: functionality, feasibility, design quality, and economic feasibility.
How to enter
Information on how to enter can be found on the website.
Each person participating in the competition can submit only one project.
Participants invited by the contracting authorities to negotiate a design contract (those ranked first, second, or third in the competition) must have at least one team member capable of certifying full design qualifications.
Winners of the first prize will be awarded €10,000, while second-place winners will receive €7,000.
Third-place winners will receive € 3,000, and two honourable mention prizes of €1,000.
Submission deadlines
The deadline for questions is 30 January 2026.
The deadline for registration and submission of documents is 4 February 2026. The deadline for the project submissions is 9 February 2026.
The announcement of the competition results will be no later than 24 March 2026.
About Optimistas
Optimistas is an architecture and planning firm based in Sofia and Varna, Bulgaria.
The company organises competitions on the values of openness, fairness, transparency and equal access.
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