The Site
A historyfacing the ocean
Cidade Velha, on the island of Santiago, is one of the most significant places in the history of Cape Verde. Founded in the 15th century as Ribeira Grande, it was the first urban settlement in the archipelago and soon became a strategic center along the Atlantic routes, where trade, religious power, military defense and culture converged.
Its landscape still preserves traces of this memory: the ruins, the system of forts, the stone, the relationship with the ocean and the morphology of the coast all reveal a deep and fragile identity.
Since 2009, Cidade Velha has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site: designing here means engaging with a unique context, where every new architecture must arise from respect for history, landscape, materiality and the horizon.
The Challenge
Design with the land,not over it
The challenge begins with the desire to imagine a residential complex capable of belonging to the place before occupying it. The new units should engage with the natural morphology of the land, following its slopes, views and orientations, in order to build a balanced relationship between architecture, landscape and everyday life.
We are looking for proposals that can interpret the territory with respect, through sustainable materials, coherent construction solutions and integrated open spaces. The project should also consider the long-term experience of living in this place: light, shade, privacy, ventilation and the connection with the ocean.
Functional aspects, such as access, internal paths and parking areas, should be part of the design, not secondary elements, contributing to the quality and real feasibility of the intervention.
Calendar
Key dates
Downloads
Brief and
Technical Files
Competition Rules
Official document with all participation requirements, evaluation criteria and competition conditions.
Download →Technical Files
Site plans, sections and surveys in DWG and PDF format. Topographic data and plot boundaries.
Download →Site Photography
High-resolution photographs of the site, the urban context and the coastal landscape of Cidade Velha.
Download →
Awards
From Vision
to Reality
This competition is not only about collecting ideas, but about identifying proposals with the potential to become reality. Winning or selected projects may be evaluated for possible concrete development, with the ambition of transforming an architectural vision into a real intervention within the territory of Cidade Velha.
Jury
A multidisciplinary
evaluation panel
TBA
To Be Announced
Jury member to be announced.
TBA
To Be Announced
Jury member to be announced.
TBA
To Be Announced
Jury member to be announced.
TBA
To Be Announced
Jury member to be announced.
TBA
To Be Announced
Jury member to be announced.
TBA
To Be Announced
Jury member to be announced.
TBA
To Be Announced
Jury member to be announced.
Eligibility
Who can
participate
The competition is open to architects, designers, students, studios and multidisciplinary teams, with no age restrictions. Participants may apply individually or as part of a team.
For team applications, one person must be appointed as team leader and will be responsible for registration, official communications and final submission.
Register Now →Accessibility Fee
A Challenge
for Everyone
A reduced fee is available for participants from countries included in the official Competition Accessibility List, defined to support wider participation from lower-income and emerging contexts.
Eligibility is based on the participant's declared country of residence. The Accessibility Fee is granted on a good-faith basis. Verification may be required for shortlisted or awarded entries.
Competition Accessibility List →FAQ
Frequently
Asked Questions
The official FAQ document, containing the complete list of questions and answers related to the competition, will be published after the end of the question submission period and will be available for download in the Downloads section.
Yes. The competition welcomes international participants, both as individuals and as teams.
Yes. Students are welcome to participate individually or as part of a team.
Yes. Team applications are accepted. Each team must appoint one team leader.
Participants will be able to download the competition rules, technical files and site photographs.
Yes. A reduced fee is available for participants from countries included in the official Competition Accessibility List.
The winning or selected proposals may be considered for a possible further development phase, subject to technical, economic and contractual agreements.
Join the Challenge
Ready to design
Linha do Horizonte?
Join the challenge and take part in an international competition exploring architecture, landscape and the future of inhabiting Cidade Velha.
Register Now →