Design a slow-living restaurant in Portugal! Portugal Long Table Restaurant is launched!

What if a meal could become more than dining—what if it could shape the way people gather, connect, and experience time together? Set in the lush landscape of northern Portugal, near Braga and the Cávado River, this competition explores the relationship between architecture, food, and place. Surrounded by green valleys, agricultural land, and a culture deeply rooted in outdoor living and local produce, the site offers a unique setting where everyday life unfolds between nature and community.

The project is initiated by a family whose connection to the land is both personal and generational. Centered around a modest former horse barn and a landscape shaped by use, memory, and care, their vision is to open this private setting to others—transforming it into a place of shared experience. Rather than creating a conventional hospitality destination, the ambition is to extend a way of living: one grounded in togetherness, simplicity, and a close relationship to nature.

The competition invites participants to rethink the act of dining as a collective and meaningful ritual. At its core is the transformation of the existing barn into a small-scale restaurant centered around shared meals and social interaction, complemented by a system of lightweight guest accommodation that allows visitors to stay, slow down, and fully engage with the experience. The challenge lies in balancing architecture with atmosphere—creating spaces that feel natural, welcoming, and deeply connected to their surroundings.

Participants are asked to develop a proposal that brings together adaptive reuse, spatial clarity, and environmental sensitivity, shaping a cohesive experience across building and landscape. The outcome should demonstrate how simple, thoughtful design can support new forms of gathering—where architecture becomes a quiet framework for connection, time, and shared life.

PRIZES

3 winning proposals, 2 special award recipients and 6 honourable mentions will be selected. Buildner will award a total of 10,000 € 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 11 – JULY 8
Advance Registration: JULY 9 – SEPTEMBER 23
Last Minute Registration: SEPTEMBER 24 – DECEMBER 9

Final registration deadline: DECEMBER 9, 2026
Closing date for submission: JANUARY 11, 2027 (23:59 LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners: MARCH 2, 2027

More:  https://architecturecompetitio...