Regulations

Subject to modifications

What is the Brussels Architecture Prize?

The Brussels Architecture Prize is an initiative of the Brussels-Capital Region that is implemented by Urban in co-production with A+ Architecture in Belgium. Awarded for the first time in 2021, this year marks its third edition. The Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 will highlight Brussels:

  • As a metropolis with great spatial qualities where both established names and young architects can gain a foothold,
  • As a laboratory for contemporary architecture and urban planning, where innovative projects receive active support,
  • As a source of inspiration for urban policy, well beyond the Region’s borders.

The exhibitions A Vision for Brussels: Imagining the Capital of Europe (2007) and Building for Brussels (2012), both organised by the Region in collaboration with Architecture Workroom Brussels and Bozar, showed visions and leading international examples to inspire the Brussels metropolis. Today, more than a decade later, thanks to a carefully considered architectural policy, Brussels itself can put forward projects, visions and practices that serves as a source of inspiration both nationally and internationally. Today, Brussels has become a model for Europe in terms of architectural quality, urban planning innovation, renovation and conversion, reuse and circular construction. Moreover, architecture plays a dynamic role in the Brussels economy.

A prize is therefore the best way to celebrate these achievements and their creators! In addition, this prize provides an opportunity to renew the debate on architecture and urban planning at a high level, as it contributes to a new narrative in which architecture, as a discipline, responds to the challenges of the contemporary metropolis. With the organisation of this prize, Brussels aims for excellence in architectural quality.

Who is the Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 for?

This biennial prize rewards recently completed projects by Belgian or foreign architects in Brussels and by Brussels offices in Flanders, Wallonia or abroad. Any architect with an office in Brussels or the designer of a project that contributes to the quality of the capital, completed between January 2023 and June 2025, can enter a submission. Both young and established architects can apply, whether for small, innovative interventions or large-scale public projects.

You are therefore eligible if:

  • Your architectural office is based in the Brussels-Capital Region and has realised a project in Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia or abroad [Categorie: Extra Muros], completed or put into use between January 2023 and June 2025.
  • Your architectural office is not based in the Brussels-Capital Region but has recently realised a project there, completed or put into use between January 2023 and June 2025.

When entering a group project, at least one of the applicants must meet the conditions set out above. Each applicant or group of applicants may submit up to three completed projects. The submitted realisations must be presented in accordance with the provisions of these regulations. The agreement of the collaborating architects on the project within the framework of a group project (temporary collaboration) is required to participate in the Brussels Architecture Prize 2025, as well as that of the project’s client.

Evaluation criteria

All projects must meet the following criteria:

  • Completed between January 2023 and June 2025.
  • Exhibit architectural and/or process quality.
  • Contribute to society in a positive way.
  • Give special attention to sustainable construction in the broadest sense of the term. This may include reuse, renovation/conversion, passive construction, contribution to the circular economy, use of renewable energy, accessibility, and integration of soft mobility.
  • If the project required a building permit for a new construction, demolition-reconstruction, or transformation with volume modification: the project must have been fully completed in accordance with the permit and in compliance with applicable procedures and regulations within the four years preceding the application deadline.

Projects must be submitted no later than March 30, 2025, at 11.30PM via the website www.brusselsarchitectureprize.be.

Categories & awards

You can submit a project in one of the following four categories:

  • Small Intervention

Project of less than 1,000 m²: new construction or renovation in the Brussels-Capital Region that effectively addresses the challenges of the modern metropolis through intelligent integration into the surroundings, responsible material use, refined detailing, or thoughtful organisation.

  •  Major Intervention

A building in the Brussels-Capital Region that, by virtue of its volume, its programme, or its ambition, contributes to the cityscape, redesigns the urban environment, and has a lasting impact on the quality and perception of its surroundings.

  •  Public Space

A project in the public space of the Brussels-Capital Region that enhances value for residents and users, promotes sustainable mobility, and creates a “space for everyone.” This could include not only streets, squares, and parks, but also semi-public areas that welcome the local community and passers-by, offering a meaningful contribution to the neighbourhood and the city.

  •  Extra Muros

High-quality projects built outside the Brussels territory (national or international), but designed by an office based in the Brussels-Capital Region.

Given the complexity of architectural projects, some project may fit into multiple categories. However, each project may only be submitted in one category. We therefore ask architects to carefully select the most appropriate category for their submission. The nominees will then be designated by category. Only one winner will ultimately be selected; joint winners are not possible.

Honourable mentions

In addition to these four categories, four honourable mentions will be awarded:

  • Lifetime Achievement

An honourable mention for a Brussels-based office or architect who, through long-term commitment, has contributed positive changes to Brussels. The scientific committee will propose the candidates and select the winner. It is therefore not possible to apply for this recognition. 

  • Promising Young Architect

An honourable mention for a promising young architect or office based in the Brussels-Capital Region, whose founders are no older than 40 in December 2025. The scientific committee will propose the candidates, and the winner will be selected by the members of the international jury. It is therefore not possible to apply for this recognition.

  • Contemporary Heritage

An honourable mention for a project with a unique approach to contemporary heritage. To be eligible for this mention, certain criteria must be met, as specified in the online submission form. The international jury will select one winning project from all eligible submissions.

  • People’s Choice

The public can vote online via the Brussels Architecture Prize website for their favourite project among the nominated projects across all categories. The project with the most votes wins the recognition People’s Choice.

International jury, scientific committee and public jury

International jury

The international jury is selected by the scientific committee. It meets by invitation of the organisers, at the designated time and location. When the jury reaches the required quorum to make valid decisions (minimum of 5 members), the deliberations begin. The jury may be assisted by persons designated by the organisers; these persons have no voting right. A juror, their associate(s), interns or close relatives may not take part in the competition. When it gathers, the jury will establish its work method, either by immediate classification or by successive eliminations, or a combination of both. Its decisions will be taken by simple majority of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the chair will have the casting vote.

The president of the jury is obliged to formulate and sign the result of the deliberations together with a specific comment regarding each of the works to receive a prize or nomination. Being a member of the jury implies the unconditional acceptance of these competition rules. If a member of the jury is prevented from attending, they must provide a substitute and notify the organiser of the name of the substitute in a timely manner. An observer from among the organisers and some members of the A+ editorial board will sit in on each jury.

The international jury is composed of renowned architects and key figures from the architectural scene with a connection to Brussels. The international jury of this third edition consists of the following persons:

  • Ido Avissar (FR)
  • Maria Conen (CH)
  • Sophie Delhay (FR)
  • Sebastian Skovsted (DA)
  • Ana Luisa Soares (PT)
  • Ellis Woodman (EN)

The quality of the jury is fully aligned with the quality of the prize. This is why the selection is made by a professional jury in two stages: The jury first makes an initial preselection and narrows down the number of submissions to five nominated projects per category. In the second phase, the jury visits all the nominated projects in the presence of their architects and selects the winners for each category. Additionally, the jury selects a recipient for the Honourable Mention in Contemporary Heritage from the submissions, and for the Promising Young Architect, from the nominees proposed by the scientific committee.

Scientific committee

The scientific committee determines the composition of the international jury and selects the nominees for the Promising Young Architect, as well as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement mention.

The scientific committee consists of the following persons:

  • Arnaud Hendrickx (Programme Director of the Master in Architecture & Design at KU Leuven, Campus Sint Lucas Brussels and Ghent)
  • Audrey Contesse (Director of the ICA, – Institut culturel d’Architecture Wallonie Bruxelles)
  • Nikolaus Hirsch (Artistic Director of CIVA)
  • Marcelle Rabinowicz (Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at ULB La Cambre-Horta),
  • Thomas Moor (Cellule Architecture – Wallonia-Brussels Federation)
  • Roxane Le Grelle (Architecture Curating Practice)
  • Sarah Lagrillière and Guy Condé-Reis (Urban.Brussels)
  • Amaryllis Jacobs and Lara Molino (A+ Architecture in Belgium)

Public jury

The public will choose their favourite project (People’s Choice) from the 20 nominated projects across all categories. The selection is made by voting online via the Brussels Architecture Prize website, from the evening of the exhibition opening until the day before the ceremony. (see below)

Award ceremony and fringe programme

The award ceremony for the Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 will take place in December 2025. The ceremony will be in the presence of all nominees, winners, organisers, partners and some members of the international jury.

  • People’s Choice Launch

On the 6th of November, we will launch the People’s Choice Award. The installation, showcasing all 20 nominated projects, will be visible day and night from outside on the ground floor of the Parliament, until the 14th of December.

This evening marks the official start of public voting for the People’s Choice Award and coincides with the release of the Brussels Architecture Prize Newspaper. Voting is open until 4 December via the Brussels Architecture Prize website. The winner will be announced during the Award Ceremony.

  • Award Ceremony

The Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 reaches its highlight during the Award Ceremony on December 9th. During this festive evening, the international jury will announce the winners in four categories — Major Intervention, Small Intervention, Public Space, and Extra Muros — as well as the four special mentions: Contemporary Heritage, Promising Young Architect, Lifetime Achievement, and the People’s Choice Award. The nominated projects will be briefly presented before the winners are revealed. A reception will follow the ceremony.

Website

The website of the Brussels Architecture Prize is the official competition platform for registrations, the presentation of all submissions, general communications and press releases:

www.brusselsarchitectureprize.be. This digital communication will further be complemented by newsletters and posts shared the Brussels Architecture Prize‘s social media channels, as well as through Urban and A+’s channels.

Newspaper

A Newspaper, entirely dedicated to the Brussels Architecture Prize 2025, will be published as a special supplement in BRUZZ in three languages: Dutch, French, and English. This supplement will feature an overview of the 20 nominated, including an interview and articles. It will be distributed during the exhibition opening and the awards ceremony. Public distribution will be managed by BRUZZ, as well as the distribution channels of Urban and A+.

Registering and entering a submission

Register online by uploading your project on www.brusselsarchitectureprize.be before 30 March 2025 11.30PM at latest. Your file must enable the jury to assess the quality of the realisation according to the criteria mentioned above and the further category-specific criteria. Choose a category for your submission (Small intervention, Major intervention, Public space, Extra Muros) and fill in the details of your project. Provide us with a maximum of 10 photos of the project and a filled-out version of the provided PDF template (PDF format, A4, portrait format, 5 pages, max. 5 MB, in English) that will serve as a direct support for the jury to your guided tour to the project beginning of June.

The guidelines to help you register and upload your projects can be found on the website as a printable version. Once the projects have been uploaded correctly, submitters will receive an online confirmation.

By submitting an entry, the author of a project agrees that the documents and photographs related to the nominated realisations may be used by the organiser for communication of the projects (digital and paper media) within the framework of the Brussels Architecture Prize without having to submit a request or obtain permission. The authors of the submitted projects will make a prior arrangement concerning the copyright of the photos. The name of the realisation and the author will always be mentioned, as well as the name of the photographer.

For pictures published in BRUZZ that are not royalty free, a fee will be paid to the photographer who holds the copyright, in accordance with the rates applied by A+ Architecture in Belgium.

By participating in the competition, the architect commits, if nominated, to organise a guided tour for the jury members at the beginning of June. They also commit to contributing to the setup and opening of the exhibition, as well as ensuring their presence at the award ceremony at Bozar. Furthermore, they agree to take part in promotional activities, such as video interviews and photo sessions, to be used as part of the Brussels Architecture Prize communication.

Rewards for the winners

The organisation receives support from sponsors. The sums awarded to the winners are provided by organisations and public authorities. The winning architects of the 4 categories of the Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 will each receive an amount of €4,000*. No monetary award is provided for the winners of the honourable mentions (Lifetime Achievement, Promising Young Architect, Contemporary Heritage, and People’s Choice). All architects who are authors of the prize-winning realisations will also receive a commemorative statuette. Each architect and/or client who wishes to do so may mention that their project has received a prize or recognition, provided that the mention “Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 of the Brussels-Capital Region, in collaboration with A+ Architecture in Belgium” is included.

(*) Subject to change. Depending on the funds allocated by the official bodies, the organisation may decide to reduce the award amounts.

Timetable

February 2025: Launch of the open call for submissions and announcement of the jury members on the Brussels Architecture Prize website.
30th March 2025: Submission deadline.
April 2025: Pre-selection by the international jury (online).
June 2025: Meeting of the international jury members in Brussels: visits to the nominated projects.
September 2025: Announcement of the nominated projects on the Brussels Architecture Prize website.
6 November 2025: Launch, start of the online voting for the People’s Choice, and distribution of the Brussels Architecture Prize journal by BRUZZ.
7 November – 14th December 2025: Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 installation.
9 December 2025: Ceremony at Bozar and announcement of the winners by category and honourable mentions.

Disputes

Entering the competition implies the unreserved acceptance of both these competition rules and the final decision of the jury. Any potential dispute relating to the award of the Brussels Architecture Prize 2025 or the interpretation of these regulations shall be submitted by the organisers to the opinion or arbitration of the Belgian Order of Architects.

Cancellation

The organisers reserve the right to cancel the competition in whole or in part if the number of participants or the number of prizes to be awarded is considered insufficient.

Competition address and information

The Brussels Architecture Prize is an initiative of the Brussels-Capital Region that is implemented by Urban in co-production with A+ Architecture in Belgium.

Brussels Architecture Prize 2025

A+ Architecture in Belgium
Ernest Allardstraat 21/3
B-1000 Brussels
e. info@brusselsarchitectureprize.be
w. www.brusselsarchitectureprize.be