Milan has a long history of navigable canals that formed a fundamental part of the city’s economy and the growth of the whole region, providing a direct connection between the northern lakes down to the sea.

Within Milan, the Navigli canal transported both people and goods throughout the city, but at the start of the 20th century the city’s inner canals were covered to add to the city’s road system. The Navigli canals now run underneath the streets but have the potential to be rediscovered and bring back Milan’s “water city charm”.

For the Milan Navigli Canal Challenge, participants are tasked with conceptualising the Milan of the future and envisioning a symbiotic relationship between the city and the Navigli canal. Projects should focus on environmentally - friendly design, mobility, and the relationships between water and urban spaces.

The Milan Navigli Canal Challenge is being run in collaboration with Riaprire i Navigli Association – "Reopen the Navigli Association'' – and Primitivo studio Milan, who are proposing a complete renovation of the existing canal. Their goal is to create a new way for the city to operate, with competition entries to play a big part in swaying public opinion on the subject.

Competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English

Prizes

1ST PRIZE—5,000 €+Publications+Certificate of Achievement

2ND PRIZE—2,000 €+Publications+Certificate of Achievement

3RD PRIZE—1,000 €+Publications+Certificate of Achievement

CLIENT'S RIAPRIRE I NAVIGLI ASSOCIATION + PRIMITIVO STUDIO FAVOURITE AWARD—1,000 €+Publications+Certificate of Achievement

ARCHHIVE STUDENT AWARD (MORE DETAILS)—500 €++ 50 € ARCHHIVE BOOKS Gift Card + 50 Points BEE BREEDERS Architecture University Rankings+Publications+Certificate of Achievement

AAPPAREL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD—500 €+ 50 € AAPPAREL.com Gift Card+Publications+Certificate of Achievement

+ 6 HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Jury panel

James Biber—BIBER ARCHITECTS, USA

Grazia Comai—TOWNSHEND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, UK

Carola Enrich—TOWNSHEND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, UK

Samista Jugwanth—ZUTARI

Silvana Ordinas—PETER PICHLER ARCHITECTURE, ITALY

Lukas Rungger—NOA* NETWORK OF ARCHITECTURE, ITALY

Sean Shen—ZJJZ ATELIER, CHINA

Rituparna Simlai—STUDIO ARTH LLC, USA

Alessandro Zoppini—STUDIO ZOPPINI, ITALY

Key dates

Closing date for registration—21 APRIL, 2022

Closing date for project submission—26 MAY, 2022 (11:59pm GMT+0)

Announcement of the winners—07 JULY, 2022

Competition Q&A deadline—28 April, 2022