A. Participants
The Artistic Directors will select up to 12 proposals presented by emerging practitioners under the age of 30, from all over the world.
B. Eligibility
We invite applicants from a wide range of professions dealing with the built environment, following the overall ambition of the 20th International Architecture Exhibition. Preference will be given to applicants pursuing transdisciplinary approaches to address architecture’s most pressing challenges. Eligible applicants must belong to the following categories:
· Undergraduate students or graduate students under the age of 30 by the application deadline
· Young professionals who have graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree, who will be under the age of 30 by the application deadline
The applications must be submitted online exclusively by a single applicant.
There is no participation or registration fee.
The selection will be made by the Artistic Directors of the Architecture Department of La Biennale di Venezia, whose decision will be final.
C. Applications
Applicants should apply via the dedicated application forms, by 11:59 pm (CEST) on 24 June 2026.
The following documents, to be submitted in English, are required and should strictly follow the format and limits specified to be deemed eligible for selection.
Education certificate
Certificate of enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate degree in architecture, urban design, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and adjacent professions dealing with the built environment, (JPEG or PDF format, MAX 300 KB) or alternatively:
Certificate of graduation from an undergraduate or graduate degree in architecture, urban design, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and adjacent professions dealing with the built environment (JPEG or PDF format, MAX 300 KB)
Written statement describing the proposed work and its inspiration and context (1 page, maximum 350 words or 1,800 characters).
Drawings, photographs, sketches, videos, renderings of the proposed work (no more than 5 items).
A production budget up to a maximum of € 25,000 for fabrication and any extraordinary maintenance or staffing costs.
An additional budget for shipment, technical equipment rental and installation, lighting and installation costs.
Curriculum Vitae (2 pages, maximum 700 words or 3,600 characters).
Short video presentation by the applicant (maximum 3 minutes).
Contact information including email address, phone number, and physical mailing address.
Rights disclosure with regards to full ownership of rights to the submitted project.
Confirmation that the project has not already been and will not be supported with other financing for development or production.
List of grants for which the project has been submitted, if any.
Submit your application
D. Selection and announcement
The selection will be made by the Artistic Directors of the Architecture Department of La Biennale di Venezia, whose decision will be final.
On July 20th, La Biennale di Venezia will notify the projects of the selected participants for the first phase and invite them to a ten-day workshop in Venice from September 22nd to October 1st
E. Rules of participation
Following the announcement, the selected participants will sign an agreement with La Biennale di Venezia, which will detail the conditions of their participation. All the activities will be held in English.
F. Conditions of hospitality
Participants selected for the workshop and subsequently those accessing the second phase for the production grant will be hosted (lodging and lunch) for the duration of their stay in Venice (10 nights - In September 21st - Out October 1st 2026) in selected structures provided by La Biennale di Venezia.
La Biennale di Venezia will also cover the participants' travel expenses in economy class for the workshop in Venice.
G. Venice Workshop Activities
Development Workshop and presentation of the projects
The selected participants will attend an intensive workshop, in English, to develop and define their project; it will last 10 days from September 22nd to October 1st (travel days: Monday, September 21st – Thursday October 1st).
The workshop will be run by the Artistic Directors of the Architecture Department of La Biennale di Venezia and a group of curators and architects who will act as tutors and mentors for the group. The workshop will alternate between group and individual sessions and dedicated meetings with visiting instructors and cultural producers.
At the conclusion of the workshop, each participant will present their project.
Final selection
Each participant will be required to deliver on October 22nd, within three weeks after the end of the workshop, a final project draft with an updated budget and production schedule. After listening to the presentation of the projects and assessing the final project mentioned above, the Artistic Directors will select up to 4 projects from the selected participants. These participants will move on to the production workshop, presented below.
Production Workshop
From November 23th to November 27th 2026 the participants will attend a 5 day-online workshop during which they will define all aspects of their project and the production process. The goal of this workshop is to prepare the participants of the up to 4 selected projects to proceed with the production of the works once the workshop is concluded.
H. Allocation of the funds for the production and signature of the agreement
A grant of maximum € 25,000 for the production will be allocated to each selected project following procedure and timing defined with La Biennale di Venezia.
The Artistic Directors of the Architecture Department of La Biennale di Venezia, assisted by La Biennale staff, will approve each project for funding. After that, the financial controller of the Biennale College will approve the budgets and production schedules.
The selected participants will sign an agreement with La Biennale di Venezia, which defines the obligations of the participants and the terms of their access to the max up to € 25,000.00 grant.
I. Supervision of the participants
Between the workshop in November 2026 and the end of March 2027, the project development will be monitored and assisted online by the Biennale College team.
J. Presentation at the 20th International Architecture Exhibition
In May 2027, the works will be presented at the Biennale Architettura 2027, out of competition.
A copy of preparatory sketches or videos must be donated to the ASAC (La Biennale di Venezia Historical Archives).
K. Conditions of hospitality – 4 selected projects
La Biennale di Venezia will provide travel expenses in economy class for the selected participants for the setting up and the pre-opening of 20th International Architecture Exhibition and lodging.
La Biennale di Venezia reserves the right, in any case, to modify, cancel or interrupt the initiative described above, in that case the announcement and/or the selection do not constitute a binding contract for the same, nor do they entail the right to the reimbursement of any expense other than those specified above.
The integral acceptance of the Biennale College Architettura call conditions makes the application eligible.
Info:
college-architettura@labiennale.org
