Architectural competition for young architects and students held in Baku

On April 25, 2026, with the support of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan and at the initiative of the Club of Young Architects and Students, the opening of an exhibition of projects submitted to the 'X Republican Competition of Works by Young Architects and Students' took place, along with a solemn award ceremony for the winners.

As reported to 1news.az by the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan, the event was held at the 'Zaman ART Gallery' located in Icherisheher.

The purpose of the competition is to identify new talents, encourage unconventional approaches, develop contemporary architectural thinking, and present promising directions to the general public and potential clients.

The platform saw participation from young architects and students under the age of 29, who submitted individual projects, coursework, and diploma works.

At the opening of the event, the Chairman of the Board of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan, Elbay Gasimzade, welcomed the guests and emphasized that the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan always pays special attention to the development of creative initiatives among youth.

The event was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Azerbaijan Republic, Murad Huseynov, the Chairman of the Board of the State Historical-Architectural Reserve 'Icherisheher' Management, Rufat Mahmud, and the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, Zahida Mamedova. They reviewed the projects of the young architects and wished them success.

The President of the Club of Young Architects and Students, Elin Beylarov, noted in his speech that the competitions, held since 2014, have already become a tradition, and this year's competition was also successfully organized. He reported that a total of 32 applications were received, of which 24 projects were admitted to participate. These works covered various architectural approaches, concepts, and ideas. Elin Beylarov expressed gratitude to the event participants and thanked the leadership of the Union for their support.

The competition jury, consisting of a member of the Board of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan and a member of the Board of the State Historical-Architectural Reserve 'Icherisheher' Management, Aytadj Alisultanly, the Project Director of 'Fontanagrande' LLC and member of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan, Fazil Gumbatly, and a specialist from the 'Azerdovletlayihe' Institute and winner of the IX Republican Competition of Works by Young Architects and Students, Melik Guliyev, evaluated the projects and determined the winners at a meeting held on April 22.

Thus, the first-place winner is awarded a cash prize of 1000 AZN and an honorary diploma, the second-place winner receives a cash prize of 750 AZN and an honorary diploma, and the third-place winner is awarded a cash prize of 500 AZN and an honorary diploma.

The jury also recommended sending the projects that took first, second, and third places to participate in the XXXIV International Architectural Review-Competition 'Zodchestvo-2026', which will be held in Moscow.

In addition, incentive awards are planned to be presented by several state structures and architectural companies.