Openair Suites – A Rural Hospitality Experience
Dezeen Competitions: TerraViva’s latest competition invites entrants to design concepts for a cluster of rural guesthouses on a site at the foot of Mount Etna on the island of Sicily.
Entries will be judged by an international panel of experts based on originality, creativity, sensitivity and integration into the landscape.
This competition is now closed
Organiser: TerraViva
Competition: Openair Suites – A Rural Hospitality Experience
Judges:
- Giovanni Polazzi, co-founder of Archea Associati
- Aldo Cingolani, founder of Bertone Design Group
- Eugenia Pronzati, founder of Dropshot and The Blue Corner
- Sergio Redaelli, CEO of Crippacampeggio Srl/Crippaconcept
- Sergio Pitrone, co-founder of Vertumn
- Gloria Pierluigi, co-founder of Fuorirotta_italia
- Francesco Salvaggio, founder and editor of myGlamping.it
- Giorgia Dallasio, junior editor at Pambianconews
Registration deadline: 10 April
Winner announcement: 11 May
Prizes: the total prize pool is €8,000. First prize is €3,000, second prize is €2, 000, third prize is €1,000. Five golden mentions will will win a coupon for a free membership, 10 honourable mentions will receive a coupon for a free membership
Competition overview
Openair Suites is an international architecture competition that challenges participants to imagine a new model of rural accommodation set within the extraordinary agricultural landscape at the foothills of Mount Etna.
The goal is to design two prototype suite modules conceived as part of a coherent architectural system capable of defining a recognisable hospitality identity.
At the core of the proposal lies the creation of an Architectural Brandbook: a set of timeless and smart architectural guidelines that translate the Openair Suites vision into space.
Each suite, cluster and outdoor space should feel unmistakably part of the OAS network, remaining recognisable across different locations and agricultural settings.
Beyond the design of the individual suites and the larger architectural concept, participants are asked to imagine how this system will come to life within the selected site: La Fucina di Vulcano.
Already operating as a rural hospitality complex, this location becomes the testing ground for introducing a new cluster of suites with minimal impact on the land.
Designers are invited to work on lightweight, reversible structures that elevate the experience of staying in nature while maintaining comfort, intimacy and spatial quality.
More than a simple accommodation project, Openair Suites explores how contemporary design can shape a slow, immersive and authentic way of inhabiting rural landscapes, transforming small-scale architecture into a powerful tool for experience-driven hospitality.
Eligibility and judging criteria
The competition is open to architects, designers, students, urbanists, engineers, artists, enthusiasts and anyone interested in the fields of design and architecture.
The jury will evaluate all the proposals according to the following principles:
- originality of the concept
- integration with the rural context
- creative interpretation of the programme
- sensitive use of materials and textures
- branding appeal
- graphic representation
Proposals capable of telling the genesis of the project through compelling storytelling, as well as those that will express a particular aesthetic appeal evoking a sense of positivity and innovation, will be particularly appreciated.
How to enter
Participants are required to submit one A3 booklet (horizontal orientation, max. 30 pages) and one A1 panel (horizontal orientation, 59.4 x 84.1 centimetres).
Submission deadlines
The total prize pool is €8,000. First prize is €3,000, second prize is €2,000, and third prize is €1,000.
Five golden mentions will win a coupon for a free membership, and 10 honourable mentions will receive a coupon for a free membership.
About TerraViva
TerraViva is a leading platform dedicated to the organisation of international architecture and design competitions.
We connect the most talented designers around the world with partners and stakeholders looking for high-quality projects to rehabilitate a building, redesign an urban plot or even transform an entire district.
In addition to our focus on architecture, we also work on graphic design contests, providing the ideal platform for international creatives to showcase their visual communication skills and contribute to innovative projects.
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