New York High Falls Riverfront Market

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.

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.

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.

PRIZES

3 winning proposals, 2 special award recipients and 6 honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 10,000 USD in prize money to competition winners as follows:

1st Prize - 5,000 $
2nd Prize - 2,500 $
3rd Prize - 1,000 $
+ 6 honourable mentions

Buildner Student Award - 1,000 $
Buildner Sustainability Award - 500 $

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Early Bird Registration: MAY 25 – JULY 29
Advance Registration: JULY 30 – OCTOBER 7
Last Minute Registration: OCTOBER 8 – DECEMBER 10

Final registration deadline: DECEMBER 10, 2026
Closing date for submission: JANUARY 18, 2027 (11:59 p.m. LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners: MARCH 9, 2027

More:  https://architecturecompetitio...

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Early Bird Registration: MAY 25 – JULY 29
Advance Registration: JULY 30 – OCTOBER 7
Last Minute Registration: OCTOBER 8 – DECEMBER 10

Final registration deadline: DECEMBER 10, 2026
Closing date for submission: JANUARY 18, 2027 (11:59 p.m. LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners: MARCH 9, 2027

More:  https://architecturecompetitio...