BRIEF
In the rich tapestry of Italian culture, food holds a revered position, serving as a cornerstone of social interaction, tradition, and identity. The Gastronomy Centre of Italy emerges as a vital conduit, honoring this intrinsic connection by offering a sanctuary where culinary heritage converges with contemporary discourse. It embodies the imperative to celebrate Italy's gastronomic legacy while fostering innovation and dialogue on global food issues.
As a nexus of taste, education, and community, it not only preserves culinary traditions but also propels them into the future, affirming Italy's enduring commitment to gastronomic excellence on both national and international stages. The envisioned Gastronomy Centre of Italy is poised to evolve into a bustling urban enclave dedicated to the multifaceted exploration of food culture and scholarly inquiry.
Positioned as a pioneering nucleus within Florence, it is slated to offer a cohesive blend of experiential spaces, including venues for the indulgence and promotion of local gastronomic delights, alongside educational arenas fostering discourse on global culinary matters.
Architecturally, the design envisages the integration of iconic features such as an expansive auditorium, strategically conceived to host a spectrum of gatherings and symposiums.
Central to the concept is the transformation of the surrounding square into a vibrant, round-the-clock urban oasis, seamlessly merging functionality with cultural vibrancy to facilitate the continuous exchange of knowledge and heritage amongst its diverse array of patrons.
SITE
Piazza Annigoni, a vibrant urban square nestled in the heart of Florence, Italy. Named after the renowned painter Pietro Annigoni. This vibrant hub offers a quintessential Florentine experience with its charming streets, cozy cafes, and lively atmosphere, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the city's rich heritage and vibrant culture.
PROGRAM
The competition seeks to create a gastronomy and cultural center in Florence, designed to become a socio-economic catalyst for the city. This project challenges architects on multiple levels. Success hinges not only on the quality of the culinary and cultural offerings but also on the design of the visitor experience. Movement, discovery, and engaging environments are essential.
The center must seamlessly integrate with and enhance its surroundings. Architects should design a visitor route that highlights Florence’s landscape and heritage, offering an authentic taste of Italian culture and cuisine.
Critical to the project’s success are considerations of logistics, including loading, receiving and releasing goods, and service access. Efficient management of these aspects is essential to ensure smooth operations without disrupting the visitor experience.
This project will serve as a model, inspiring similar developments and reinforcing Florence’s status as a premier cultural and gastronomic destination. The competition calls for innovative and exemplary design in cultural and gastronomic architecture.
● Main Lobby and Reception
● Pre-function Space
● Gift Shop
● Public Restrooms
* The Program Area is specified in the Project Brief and is accessible after registration.● Culinary School
● Food Tasting Area
● Auditorium
● Restaurant and Cafeteria
● Library and Reading Area
● Archives
* The Program Area is specified in the Project Brief and is accessible after registration.● Back of House
● Loading Zone
● Kitchen
● Offices
● Circulation
* The Program Area is specified in the Project Brief and is accessible after registration.● Outdoor Dinning
● Open Space
* The Program Area is specified in the Project Brief and is accessible after registration.
TIMELINE
Meeting deadlines is crucial for competition eligibility. Participants must prioritize timelines, completing each phase promptly. Timely submissions allow for thorough review and refinement, enhancing overall quality. Embracing proactive time management fosters efficiency and excellence within the competition. Dates are subject to change. Please refer to the official website for updates.
Registration Closed
Submission Deadline
Jury Review
Results Announcement
DELIVERABLES
To correctly participate in the competition, participants must upload the following materials. The materials cannot contain any name or reference to designers except in the Registration Form. Submissions that fail to follow the rule or naming convention will be disqualified and not reviewed.
● One Cover Image, 1920x1080px, .jpg or.png format.
● It should showcase the best of the project and will be used in publications.
● Two A1 panels vertical oriented, 841 mm x 594 mm, .jpg format, maximum size 10 MB each.
● Contents should include but not limited to:
- Overall design concept or conceptual idea.
- Architectural representations and technical drawings(e.g., plans, elevations, sections, axonometric, renderings, model photographs, hand sketches, etc. )
● A A4 .word format, 3000 characters to 4000 characters maximum.
● Text only and must be brief and written in English
JURY
Each jury undergoes meticulous nomination, consisting of top-tier professionals whose expertise closely aligns with the competition's theme. This rigorous selection process ensures that every jury member embodies excellence and relevance in their respective fields.
Casey Renner is an architect licensed in California with global experience. A native of Minnesota, his studies have ranged from Scandinavia to MIT, with professional experience including VJAA, Höweler + Yoon, SOM, HOK, and Mark Cavagnero Associates. He has taught at MIT, Virginia Tech, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has been a guest critic at the University of Minnesota, IIT, UIC, UW Milwaukee, UC Berkeley, and California College of the Arts.
His involvement with high modern architects has shaped a design approach based on honesty, rationality, material efficiency, and building performance, while a background with parametric modeling brings this sensibility to modern tools and expression.
He is a resident of Marin County, where he lives with his wife and two young sons, and also where he manages to find inner peace on a mountain bike.
Justin Linton Campolucci brings a wealth of experience to the jury for this architecture design competition. With over a decade of experience, he has established a successful career across Europe and the Middle East. Since 2022, he has been part of the architectural team at Bureau Bas Smets in Brussels. Before this, he refined his expertise at Marc Koehler Architects in Amsterdam and in Italy, working on diverse and innovative projects centered on the urban fabric and its regeneration.
Justin's architectural journey began with a solid educational foundation. Coming from a mixed Italian-Australian background, he graduated with full marks from the Università degli Studi di Firenze with a Master of Architecture. He also spent a year at Technische Universität Berlin, further broadening his academic experience. Throughout his career, Justin has been involved in projects in Florence, Doha, Portugal and more recently in the USA, UAE, and Paris. His global perspective and keen eye for design excellence make him an invaluable addition to the panel.
Kristoffer Tjerrild Lund brings a dynamic blend of international experience and academic rigor to the jury of this architecture design competition. Since February 2021, Kristoffer has been an Architect at 3XN/GXN in Copenhagen, contributing significantly to innovative architectural projects. His previous roles include a design position at aeoeaa and pivotal internships at renowned firms such as Bureau Spectacular—Jimenez Lai in Los Angeles, OMA in Rotterdam, and Snøhetta in Oslo.
Kristoffer's academic journey spans from a bachelor’s degree in architecture from KADK in Copenhagen to earning his master’s degree in architecture at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles. This educational background has equipped him with a deep understanding of architectural theory and practice. Fluent in navigating diverse cultural and professional landscapes, Kristoffer is known for his innovative approach and commitment to pushing the boundaries of architectural design. His insights and expertise will undoubtedly enrich the evaluation process of this competition.
Simon McKenzie is an architect and educator based in San Francisco. Before joining Feldman Architecture in 2024, he spent seven years working at the international office of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, where he worked on projects at a variety of scales from their early conception through to construction document phases. Simon also has experience at acclaimed offices such as OMA, Coop Himmelb(l)au, and the Research and Development Laboratory of 3XN.
Simon gained his Bachelor of Architecture Studies from the University of Waterloo and Master of Architecture at McGill University. At McGill, he received the AIA Henry Adams Medal and the RAIC Gold Medal for being the top architecture graduate. For the last five years, he has also taught a fourth-year design studio at the Academy of Art University, while maintaining his fulltime position at SOM. Simon’s approach to design combines functional elements of program and site together with experiential elements of phenomenology and narrative.
Ziang Ao is a California-licensed architect and a principal at Anderson Anderson Architecture in San Francisco. He holds a master's degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, preceded by studies in urban planning in China. This background has instilled in him a profound appreciation for the relationship between buildings and their contexts.
Before relocating to the United States, Ao worked at Kengo Kuma and Associates in Tokyo, where he honed his skills in detailing and developed an aesthetic influenced by Eastern design principles. At Anderson Anderson Architecture, which transitioned from a design-build firm, Ao acquired extensive experience in construction details, manufacturer interactions, cost analysis, and the realization of projects from conceptual designs to tangible structures.
In addition to his professional practice, Ao is a frequent guest critic at UC Berkeley and the California College of the Arts, contributing his expertise to the academic community.
FAQ
All the questions related to the competition can be emailed to us at info@design-unlimited.online, indicating the following subject: “FAQ – Gastronomy and Cultural Center of Italy”. Answers to all questions will be published on the FAQ online section, which will be regularly updated.
Add a Title
● This competition embraces an open registration to all students and young architects worldwide. Eligible participants include students in architecture and related fields accredited by their local Ministry of Education.
● Every team must have at least one member aged 18 to 35 years old. For individual participants, this means they must be within the age range of 18 to 35 to qualify as a one-member team.
● Teams can be composed by members of different nationalities and there are no restrictions about country of residence
● There is no restriction on the citizenship of the participants.
● Download and fill out the Registration Form
● Email the Register Form to info@design-unlimited.online
● Receiving Register Code and Project Information Material Package and Background DWG File
● Checklist：
1. Project Cover Image
2. Project Panel x2
3. Project Statement
4. Final Registration Form
● Attach all items separately in the email and send them to info@design-unlimited.online. Compressed file (RAR, ZIP, 7Z) is NOT acceptable.
● Each Material shall follow the naming format: Your Registration Code + File Name:
i.e., ABC123 - Cover_Image, ABC123 - Panel_1, ABC123 - Panel_2, ABC123 - Statement, ABC123 - Registration_Form● Submissions that fail to follow the naming convention will be disqualified and not reviewed.
Add a Title
● Entry and registration for this event are entirely free.
● Participants agree and abide by the content and competition rules of this competition. The competition organizing committee has the final right to interpret the competition rules.
● To be eligible for the competition, participants must submit all the required materials. Any missing items will result in disqualification.
● Electronic drawings and videos must not contain any text or visuals associated with the author's name or organization. Failure to comply will result in disqualification.
● Language: The official language of the competition is English (the title of the work must be provided in English, and the content must at least include a design description expressed in English)
● In group participation, only the group leader shall serve as the point of contact, with no direct contact with individual group members.
● Participants retain the copyright of their entries. However, the competition organizer reserves the right to exercise additional copyright permissions apart from signing the entries.
● Works that have participated in other competitions or that use creative ideas that others have published in public are not allowed to participate in the competition.
● Each contestant is permitted to register for only one participating group and may not register for multiple groups.
● The participating team information shall be based on the Registration Form in the final submission.
● The registration fee is non-refundable, unless the organizer cancels the competition due to force majeure circumstances.
● 11:59 pm CET
● This architectural competition prohibits the inclusion of any AI-generated graphics in the final submission. However, participants are allowed to utilize AI in the design process.
● When you submit the project, the final participants will be based on the final registration form so that changes can be made to the names. Note that the Registration Code is unique and can only be used for one submission.
● An underground structure is allowed for the new proposal. Current parking under Piazza Annigoni can be reconstructed and reconfigured to accommodate the new design.
● There is no height limit. The jury will consider your building height based on "Context Integration" as part of the final evaluation.
EVALUATION
These criteria are meticulously crafted to ensure a comprehensive and fair evaluation of each submission, reflecting our commitment to excellence, creativity, and practical feasibility.
1 - 10 Points
The design must respond to and harmonize with its surroundings, considering cultural, environmental, and social contexts.
1 - 10 Points
The design should achieve a balance between aesthetic appeal and practical functionality, enhancing the user experience while fulfilling its intended purpose.
1 - 10 Points
The design must effectively address the spatial requirements and relationships between different programmatic elements, demonstrating efficient and thoughtful organization of spaces.
1 - 10 Points
The design ideas and concepts must be clearly and effectively conveyed, utilizing drawings, models, and other visual representations to communicate the project’s vision.
PRIZES
All winning projects have the potential to be showcased on various websites, in magazines, and across architectural platforms. Additionally, they may feature prominently in national and international architectural exhibitions and events.
● $1500
● Certificate● $350
● Certificate● $150
● Certificate● Certificate