International Urban Project Award 2026

AWARD

The International Urban Project Award (IUPA) is presented by Bauwelt (Berlin, Germany) and World Architecture Magazine (WA, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China), with the support of BAU China and Messe München.

The award recognizes outstanding recent projects in architecture and urban design that have transformed cities worldwide. It focuses on the interface between architecture and urban space, examining how buildings, urban design, landscape architecture and architectural technology shape cities, activate public space, and contribute to the development of urban neighborhoods. The prize highlights architecture and urban design as social and cultural forces that enhance public space, strengthen civic life, and celebrate urbanity.

One First Prize and three Special Prizes will be awarded. Submissions are open to both architectural and urban development projects.

TOPIC 2026: ARCHITECTURE THAT SPEAKS

Too often, the city feels anonymous, hostile, or even inaccessible. IUPA 2026 highlights projects in which architecture counters homogenisation and gives cities a voice: shaping life, creating identity, and opening places to diverse uses. By responding to local contexts, architecture and urban planning can reveal a site’s latent potential. Strategies may vary: transforming industrial relics to encourage interaction, turning isolated structures into places of character, or opening up closed-off buildings to engage people. The sixth edition of IUPA seeks projects in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design that restore personality and distinctiveness, repurpose obsolete places, and transform introverted environments into memorable ones.

APPLICATION CRITERIA

Projects should be substantially built but need not be fully completed. They should be less than five years old (2022–2026).

Projects must be first-time entries. A maximum of three projects per office may be submitted.

Eligible applicants include architects, urban planners, and landscape architects from around the world, both individuals and teams. Developers may submit projects together with architects.

There is no entry fee or any other cost for applicants.

JURY

The jury session will take place in Beijing in September 2026. The jury consists of:

•                     LI Cundong, Secretary-General of the Architectural Society of China (ASC)

•                     CAO Jiaming, Vice President of the Architectural Society of China (ASC) / President of the Architectural Society of Shanghai China (ASSC)

•                     Zhang Li, Vice President of UIA (Region IV), Dean of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, Professor of Architecture, leader of Atelier TeamMinus, board member of the Architectural Society of China, Editor-in-chief of World Architecture Beijing

•                     Benedetta Tagliabue, founder of Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects, Barcelona (tbc)

•                     Boris Schade-Bünsow, Editor-in-chief Bauwelt, Berlin

For further information please check: IUPA 2026