For Designers who Dare: Claude Parent Prize 2026 Entries Open

“Today, architecture is going through a new period of retreat, a return to dogma and the norm. Few still dare to cross the boundaries. Research too often settles for superficial solutions, without challenging the very foundations of architectural language or urban space. Yet some people, in the spirit of Claude Parent, continue to imagine other possibilities,” opens the 2026 Claude Parent Prize.

Entries to the second edition opened on December 5, 2025. It is held under the honorary presidency of Jean Nouvel, with the winner’s trophy specially designed by artist Loris Gréaud. The trophy-sculpture was created specifically and exclusively for this edition of the prize. The work is inspired by Gréaud’s collaboration with the architect, particularly the “Workshop,” Gréaud’s studio and the last building constructed by Claude Parent. In 2024, prize winner Atelier Jankovic de Thy received an original artwork by Claude Parent, worth approximately 7,000 euros.

The 2026 Prize

Claude Parent shattered conventions, tilting walls, breaking reference points, and expanding the limits of our imagination. Through his vision, he invited us to experience architecture and the city differently. The profound path he carved has been followed by generations. Many architects, inspired by his freedom, his architecture, his exploration of the oblique, and his writings, have carried on or reinvented his spirit of transgression in their own way.

The prize aims to reward bold architects who are aware of the current impasse and determined to break new ground. Their transgressive, pioneering or visionary approach is helping to reinvent the discipline and rethink the way we inhabit the world.

This year’s jury includes Frou Akalay: editor-in-chief of A+E, managing director of the Archimedia Group; Marie-Ange Brayer: art and architecture historian, author, chief curator at the Centre Pompidou; Edwin Chan: architect, founder of EC3 Design; Aleksandar JankoviĊ: architect, winner of the 2024 Claude Parent Prize with Alexa de Thy (Atelier Jankoviċ de Thy); Shelley McNamara: architect and cofounder of Grafton Architects, Pritzker Prize in 2020 with Yvonne Farrell; and Wolf D. Prix: architect, cofounder of Coop Himmelb(l)au, officier des Arts et des Lettres.

Eligibility and Submission Requirements

The Claude Parent Prize is interested in all forms of architecture and is open internationally. Entries may be submitted by an architect or a multidisciplinary team with at least one architect. The prize says that “whether the teams are multi-disciplinary or not, the architect alone is responsible for the entry and must first ensure that each member of his/her team fully agrees to the terms of these rules.”

Each submission must contain a 150-word statement of motivation, where the candidate explains their motivation for participating in the prize and their connection to the work of Claude Parent. A portfolio with a minimum of three (3) built or unbuilt projects in PDF format should be attached, maximum 20 MB in size, formatted in A4 (portrait or landscape). The projects will be judged according to their originality and potential impact. It is important to note that while the prize welcomes projects from any year, the selection committee will focus more on recent projects.

Each entry should also contain a 300 to 500-word write-up of the candidates’ “theoretical and practical approach” that demonstrates how their proposals “contribute to an architectural renewal.” A short chronological biography outlining studies, projects, and achievements and other awards won, is also required and should be a maximum of 150 words.

The prize notes that all submitted written materials must be in French or English. If you submit a project in another language, they reserve the right not to consider your entry.

The prize answered some frequently asked questions here.

Cost of joining the Claude Parent Prize

Submitting to the prize is FREE! The 2026 edition has decided to waive the entry fee to make the prize fair to candidates from all over the world.

Important dates

• December 5 – Applications open
• March 31, 2026 – Entries close at 11:59 PM, Paris time
• June 15, 2026 – Jury deliberation
• June 15, 2026 – Announcement of winner

We end this announcement with a note from the organizers: “This prize does not seek to find clones or imitators, something Claude Parent himself never wanted, but to champion the freedom to experiment, to break boundaries, and to reinvent architecture.” •