2027 Skyscraper Competition
Brief
2027 Skyscraper Competition asks participants to reconsider what a skyscraper can be in the twenty-first century. The call is open-ended: there is no fixed site, programme, size or minimum height. Entries may investigate technology, materials, spatial organisation, sustainability, urban inequality, resource scarcity, public and private space, or new relationships between vertical architecture, communities and natural systems. This is an ideas competition; the organiser does not promise construction or a professional commission.
Eligibility and scope
Architects, students, engineers, designers and artists from any country may enter individually or in teams, and multidisciplinary teams are encouraged. There is no limit on team size. One registration covers one project; additional projects require separate registrations and fees. English is the official language, and the registration number is the only permitted identifier on the design boards.
Fees, prizes and outcome
| Item | Published terms |
|---|---|
| Early registration | USD 135 per project through 8 December 2026. |
| Late registration | USD 175 per project from 9 December 2026 through 23 February 2027. |
| Refunds | The registration fee is expressly non-refundable. |
| First prize | USD 5,000. |
| Second prize | USD 2,000. |
| Third prize | USD 1,000. |
| Publication | Winners, honourable mentions and selected projects are intended for publication in eVolo channels and a forthcoming book. Publication is visibility, not additional payment. |
| Implementation | No construction budget or implementation commitment is announced. |
Schedule
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Competition announced and registration opened | 6 October 2026 |
| Early registration deadline | 8 December 2026 |
| Final registration deadline | 23 February 2027 |
| Project submission deadline | 9 March 2027, 23:59 US Eastern Time (UTC−5) |
| Winners announced | 18 May 2027 |
The organiser states the submission time as 23:59 US Eastern Time and explicitly gives UTC−5. The countdown therefore uses 10 March 2027 at 04:59 UTC. Registration closes earlier, on 23 February 2027.
Submission requirements
| File | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Board 1 and Board 2 | Two horizontal JPG boards, each 24 × 48 in, 150 dpi and RGB. They should explain the proposal through plans, sections, perspectives and any other necessary material. |
| Board identification | The participation number must appear in the upper-right corner. No names, marks or other identifying information are allowed. |
| Project statement | One DOC file, maximum 600 words, named [registration number]-statement.doc. |
| Entrant information | One DOC file containing names, professions, addresses and email details, named [registration number]-info.doc. |
| Package | Place all files in a ZIP folder named with the registration number. Oversize packages above 20 MB may be shared through a file-transfer service. |
| Submission route | Email the ZIP or transfer link to skyscraper2027@evolo.us by the deadline. |
Jury
| Juror | Published role and relevance |
|---|---|
| Yong Ju Lee | Principal Architect at Yong Ju Lee and first-place winner of the 2014 Skyscraper Competition; brings direct knowledge of the programme and speculative high-rise design. |
| José Luis Pérez Hermo | Senior Architect at COOP HIMMELB(L)AU; represents current professional experience in experimental architecture. |
| Changsi Wang | Senior Designer at AlphaX RE Capital and first-place winner of the 2025 Skyscraper Competition; connects the panel to the most recent completed edition. |
The call does not publish a weighted judging matrix or a separate list of scoring criteria. It frames the expected enquiry through innovation in technology, materials, programme, aesthetics and spatial organisation, together with environmental, social, cultural and urban responsibilities. Entrants should therefore not infer a hidden preference for a particular site, scale or visual style.
Organiser, record and rights
eVolo Magazine states that its annual skyscraper competition was established in 2006. Its official archive documents previous editions and published outcomes. For the 2025 edition, the organiser reports 149 submitted projects, three winners and fourteen honourable mentions. That record makes the publication pathway traceable, while remaining separate from any promise that an idea will be built.
Participants retain copyright in their designs, while granting eVolo permission to publish all submitted projects in print and digital publications. The current rules do not specify a time limit, territory or exclusivity for that permission, and they do not state a withdrawal mechanism. Teams should retain their source files and clarify crediting or later licensing if their proposal is intended for further development elsewhere.
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
The value of this competition lies in conceptual freedom and a documented multi-edition archive. The brief allows participants to use the skyscraper as a research format rather than merely a tall object. A convincing entry will need to establish its own site, programme and measure of relevance, then show how the vertical proposition works architecturally rather than relying on a single speculative image.
The main practical trade-off is financial. The fee is charged per project and is non-refundable, while the total cash prize is USD 8,000 and no implementation route is offered. The three named jurors have relevant design or competition experience, but the absence of published weighting leaves substantial discretion. Participants should enter for the ideas platform and publication record, not on the assumption of construction or a later commission.
Reviewed 7 October 2026 against the official 2027 competition call and the organiser’s official 2025 results archive, under ArchUp’s competition transparency policy.
Related competitions — Editorial team selection
From the archive, the 2025 Skyscraper Competition shows the previous eVolo edition, while the Vancouver Tall Challenge 2026 offers a more site-specific reading of height, density and urban livability.
Time remaining for submission
9 March 2027 · 23:59 US Eastern Time (UTC−5) · 10 March 2027 at 04:59 UTC.
