by
Little Africa Territory Museum
Ideas competition for an urban scale Territory Museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES) in collaboration with the Consórcio Valongo Patrimônio Vivo are promoting this international ideas competition for urban and architectural interventions in the region known as Pequena África (Little Africa), located in Rio de Janeiro’s port area. The project seeks to celebrate and solidify the area's cultural and historical significance by proposing urban improvements that reinforce its identity for a Territory Museum — integrating landmarks and significant routes through cohesive visual identity and small-scale interventions, including urban furniture ,communication systems and sensory connections that accentuate the Afro-Brazilian culture. The objective is to enhance urban legibility and cultural resonance in a historically Afro-Brazilian context recognised by UNESCO.
Sector
Culture
Tender Portal
Tender Stage
Open design competition
Deadline
18 April 2025 – Registration Closes, 16 – 30 May 2025 – Submission Deadline
Consultant Team
Lead Architect or Urbanist (must be self-declared and validated as Black – a key eligibility criterion)
Other team members (optional): urban designers, heritage consultants, landscape architects, graphic designers, and engineers are permitted but not mandatory
Other team members (optional): urban designers, heritage consultants, landscape architects, graphic designers, and engineers are permitted but not mandatory
Submission Criteria
1st Prize – R$ 78k, 2nd Prize – R$ 39k, 3rd Prize – R$ 13k
– Open to individuals or legal entities led by a Black architect or urbanist, registered and in good standing with the CAU (Brazilian Architecture and Urbanism Council) or equivalent foreign body.
– International participation is permitted, but the lead must undergo a heteroidentification validation process.
– Each participant or team may only submit one entry.
Competition Deliverables
– 4 vertical A1 boards (including:
one mandatory overall site plan;
additional drawings: perspectives, plans, sections, elevations, material and design detailing)
– Memorial Descriptive Document (concept and strategy)
– Summary Text (A4, 1-page max)
– Team photo (JPEG, RGB, min 900×600 pixels)
– Image of the proposal (JPEG, same specs)
– All documents in PDF format, uploaded via the official website portal
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