Deadline: 23-Feb-2026
The Creative Industries Fund NL’s Prix de Rome Architecture Program 2026 supports architects, urbanists, and spatial design practitioners under 40 to explore the theme Terminal Velocity, focusing on innovative, ecologically and socially aware design. The winner receives €60,000 and funding for an international residency. Applications involve a two-phase competition, including submission of a spatial statement and further development for exhibition at the Nieuwe Instituut.
Overview
The Prix de Rome Architecture Program 2026 invites early-career architects, urbanists, landscape architects, and other spatial design practitioners to submit innovative projects engaging with the theme Terminal Velocity. The award supports experimentation, critical discourse, and the exploration of architecture’s societal role, providing financial support and recognition to promising practitioners.
Theme – Terminal Velocity
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Explores the tension between architecture’s aspirations for better living and the challenges of a rapidly changing world
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Encourages architectural intelligence as a dialogue between speculative ideas and ecological, technological, social, and material realities
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Seeks projects that contribute to innovation in architecture and spatial design and stimulate debate about the discipline’s role in society
Award Benefits
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Prize: €60,000
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Residency: Financial support for an international residency of the winner’s choice
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Exhibition: Shortlisted candidates present work at the Nieuwe Instituut in December 2026
Eligibility
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Applicants must be under 40 years old
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Not enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s programme
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Minimum of one year active in the Dutch architectural field
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Independent work for those employed at larger firms; all members of collaborative teams must meet eligibility criteria
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Ineligible: legal entities, jury members, Creative Industries Fund NL employees, supervisory board members, or previous winners
Competition Phases
Phase 1 – Spatial Statement Submission
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Applicants submit a 30 × 30 × 30 cm spatial statement expressing their position on the theme
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Must be suitable for long-term storage, allow anonymous assessment, and meaningfully engage with ecological, social, technological, and material elements
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Supporting materials:
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Text (max 2 A4 pages)
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CV (max 2 A4 pages)
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Representative photograph of spatial statement
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Deadline: 23 February 2026, 16:00 CET; submissions via appointment at the Stimuleringsfonds office in Rotterdam
Phase 2 – Shortlist Development and Exhibition
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Four candidates shortlisted in early April 2026
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Shortlisted candidates receive compensation for a four-month development period
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Proposals developed further and presented at the Nieuwe Instituut in December 2026
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Jury evaluates:
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Technical, intellectual, and artistic quality
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Relevance, urgency, and sensitivity
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Engagement with contemporary architectural discourse
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Awareness of ecological, social, and material conditions
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Assessment Criteria
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Technical and artistic execution
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Intellectual rigor and originality
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Experimental engagement with contemporary architecture
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Responsiveness to ecological, social, and material realities
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Relevance and urgency of the proposal
How to Apply
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Schedule an appointment with the Stimuleringsfonds office via email
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Deliver the spatial statement in 30 × 30 × 30 cm format by 23 February 2026
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Submit supporting text, CV, and photograph as PDFs by the same deadline
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Ensure all documents are in English and within page limits
Conclusion
The Prix de Rome Architecture Program 2026 offers a prestigious platform for emerging Dutch practitioners to engage critically with architectural challenges in a changing world. Through financial support, international residency opportunities, and public exhibition, the program encourages innovative, socially and ecologically informed approaches to spatial design.
For more information, visit Creative Industries Fund NL.