Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre for Contemporary Art – International Architectural Competition 2026
Competition Brief
The Municipality of Gabrovo, Bulgaria, has launched an international two-stage architectural competition for the design of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre for Contemporary Art. The competition invites architects worldwide to propose a bold and sensitive design for the transformation and adaptation of the former Textile Technical School building and its adjacent grounds on the left bank of the Yantra River in Gabrovo — the hometown of artist Christo. The building, with a total gross floor area of 13,300 square meters, a built-up area of 2,737 square meters, and a courtyard of 9,000 square meters, was selected for its spacious workshops with high ceilings and its thematic connection between textile production and the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The centre is envisioned not only as a venue for presenting art but as a place for creating it, where the spirit of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s practice can inspire artists and the public alike. You can explore more architecture competitions of this scale on ArchUp.
Intent
The competition seeks an architectural vision that reflects the legacy of Christo and Jeanne-Claude — their courage, freedom, and their ability to make the seemingly impossible real. The brief calls for a design that transforms a former industrial-educational building into a contemporary art centre with exhibition halls, production spaces, and programming facilities, while responding sensitively to the riverfront setting and the city’s urban fabric. The architecture of this space, as the organizers note, requires bold vision, sensitivity, and a deep understanding of the artists’ work.
Purpose
The competition is a public procurement procedure organized by the Municipality of Gabrovo, co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund under the Regional Development Program 2021–2027 (Project No. BG16FFPR003-2.002-0021). Its direct purpose is to select the best design concept and eventually award a full design services contract for the preparation of construction documents, interior design, permanent exhibition design, and author’s supervision. The total value of construction and installation works, furnishings, and equipment is up to 11,261,103 euros excluding VAT. For those interested in international design competitions linked to real built outcomes, this is a substantial publicly funded commission.
Requirements
All Bulgarian and foreign natural or legal persons, associations, or any entity authorized to perform architectural design in accordance with the legislation of the country in which they are established are eligible to participate.
Financial eligibility: participants must have achieved a minimum turnover in the field of design of at least 200,000 euros (excl. VAT) over the last three completed fiscal years.
Experience eligibility: participants must have completed activities identical or similar to the subject of the contract within the last six years — specifically the development of technical or working investment designs for the construction or major repair/reconstruction of public service buildings with a total gross floor area of more than 2,000 square meters.
The conceptual design submission must include:
- An explanatory note in PDF format (file: note.pdf, up to 3 MB)
- Graphic materials: minimum 4 and maximum 5 panels in A1 size (594mm x 841mm), PDF format, RGB colour model (up to 20 MB per file)
- A financial proposal for estimated project and construction costs using the provided template
- Optional supporting documents in PDF format (up to 2 MB total)
All submissions must be anonymous — no identifying information, signatures, or stamps may appear in any submitted material. Breaching anonymity results in disqualification. The mandatory submission language is Bulgarian; an English version is recommended but not required. Documents must be submitted exclusively through the CAIS EPP (Centralized Automated Information System for Electronic Public Procurement) platform using a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) issued by an EU-licensed provider. Each participant may submit only one bid.
Jury
- Andreas Ruby – Architecture theorist, teacher, book publisher, and exhibition curator. Co-founder of Textbild and Ruby Press. Director of the Swiss Architecture Museum S AM in Basel from 2016 to 2025. Has taught at Cornell University, University of Kassel, TU Graz, and ENSAPM Paris.
- Aneta Vasileva – Architect, architecture critic, and historian. PhD in history and theory of architecture with a specialization in post-WWII architecture and heritage preservation. Faculty member at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia. Member of ICOMOS Bulgaria and DOCOMOMO International.
- Bostjan Vuga – Co-founder of SADAR+VUGA (1996), recognized for projects including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and Sports Park Stožice in Ljubljana. Full professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana since 2021. Former Diploma Unit Master at the AA London (2019–2023). Chairman of the Plecnik Fund Board since 2022.
- Erich Schoenenberger – Associate Professor at Pratt Institute School of Architecture, Brooklyn. Founding member and director of su11 Architecture + Design, whose work has been exhibited at MoMA NYC, Vitra Design Museum, Istanbul Biennial, and Art Basel.
- Lutsia Dekova – Chief Architect of the Municipality of Gabrovo.
- Martin Hristov – Co-founder of E-ARCH architectural studio, Bulgaria. Recipient of the German Design Award, BigSEE Award, Iconic Award, Architizer A+ Award, and Mies van der Rohe nominations. Deputy Chair of the Board of the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria (2016–2025). Initiator of the Bulgarian Architecture Awards National Competition and key figure in restoring Bulgaria’s participation in the Venice Architecture Biennale.
- Vasif Kortun – Curator, writer, and educator in contemporary visual art and spatial practices. Founder and first director of SALT, Platform Garanti, Proje4L, and the Museum at the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College. Co-curator of the Taipei Biennial (2008) and Istanbul Biennial (2005). Curator of the UAE and Turkey pavilions at the Venice Biennale. Research and curatorial consultant at MATHAF: Arab Museum of Modern Art.
- Hristo Stankushev (Alternate Member) – Architect based in Sofia. Founder of 7561 architects and co-founder of dontDIY studio and the furniture brand Almost. Co-founder of Fragment Association, Toplocentrala Association, Urban Development Laboratory, and Team Sofia. Chief architect and assistant professor at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia. His work has been published in Wallpaper, Dezeen, Frame, and A10.
Fees
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Registration Fee | Free (public procurement procedure) |
| Submission Fee | Free |
| Submission Platform | CAIS EPP (requires EU Qualified Electronic Signature) |
Rewards
| Prize | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Top 5 Finalists (Phase 1) | 20,000 EUR each (excl. VAT) | Each of the five shortlisted teams receives a cash prize upon completion of Phase 1 |
| Total Phase 1 Prize Fund | 100,000 EUR (excl. VAT) | Combined prize for all five finalists |
| Phase 2 Winner – Design Contract | Up to 1,000,000 EUR (excl. VAT) | Full design services contract including construction documents, interior design, permanent exhibition design, and author’s supervision |
| Construction Budget | Up to 11,261,103 EUR (excl. VAT) | Total estimated value of construction, installation works, furnishings, and equipment |
Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 Submission Deadline | 20 July 2026 |
| Phase 1 Results Announced / Prizes Awarded | 10 August 2026 |
| Phase 2 Launch (Negotiated Procedure) | 23 August 2026 |
| Phase 2 Submission Deadline (Design Development) | 23 October 2026 |
| Winner of Design Contract Announced | 10 November 2026 |
| Submission of Detailed Investment Project | 25 March 2027 |
| Final Completion Deadline | October 2028 |
| Submission Platform | CAIS EPP – app.eop.bg/today/581090 |
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
This competition is organized by the Municipality of Gabrovo — a public authority with a clear institutional mandate and EU co-financing behind the project, which removes much of the uncertainty often associated with smaller or privately organized competitions. The jury is one of the strongest aspects of this call: seven named members with fully disclosed professional profiles spanning architectural practice, curatorial work, academia, and heritage preservation. The inclusion of Vasif Kortun — a figure of international standing in contemporary art curation — alongside practitioners like Bostjan Vuga and theorists like Andreas Ruby signals that the evaluation will engage both artistic and architectural dimensions of the brief. The two-phase structure is well-suited to the scale of the project: the first phase rewards concept development with 20,000 euros per finalist, a figure that partially compensates for the effort involved, though it remains modest relative to the complexity expected. The second phase leads directly to a design contract worth up to one million euros, making this a genuine professional commission rather than a symbolic award. The financial and experience eligibility thresholds — minimum 200,000 euros turnover and prior work on public buildings over 2,000 square meters — set a clear floor for participation, appropriately filtering for offices capable of delivering at this scale. For practices experienced in adaptive reuse, cultural architecture competitions, and public procurement in EU contexts, this is a substantive and well-structured opportunity.
Final Thoughts
The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre for Contemporary Art competition is one of the more ambitious architectural commissions to emerge from the Balkans in recent years. The EU co-financing, the publicly disclosed budget, the named jury, and the two-phase structure all point to a competition designed for professional delivery rather than speculative engagement.
The brief carries genuine cultural weight. Christo was born in Gabrovo, and the centre named after him and Jeanne-Claude is intended to carry forward their practice’s spirit of bold, publicly accessible art-making. This is not a generic cultural building brief — it requires a design response that understands the specific character of their work, which adds a layer of curatorial expectation to what is otherwise a straightforward adaptive reuse commission.
The building itself is a credible canvas. The former Textile Technical School’s industrial spaces — large workshops with high ceilings — offer real architectural potential. The connection between textiles and Christo’s wrapping practice is thematically coherent, not forced.
The eligibility requirements are worth noting carefully. The minimum turnover threshold and the requirement for prior experience on public buildings over 2,000 square meters effectively limit participation to established offices. Younger practices or studios without a track record in public procurement will not qualify, regardless of the quality of their ideas.
The submission process through CAIS EPP, Bulgaria’s national public procurement platform, requires a Qualified Electronic Signature issued by an EU-licensed provider. For international teams unfamiliar with Bulgarian procurement systems, this is a practical barrier that requires advance preparation. The matchmaking section of the official website addresses this by facilitating connections between international and Bulgarian firms — a useful and transparent provision. You can find additional architecture projects and competitions of a similar scale on ArchUp.
Registration Deadline
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