Rome Rain Rooms invites architects, designers, and visionaries from around the world to reimagine how cities live with water. As climate change reshapes weather patterns, Rome faces longer droughts followed by sudden, intense downpours — moments of abundance that often go to waste. This competition challenges participants to transform those fleeting storms into civic rituals, turning rainfall into both a shared experience and a sustainable resource.
Participants are asked to design small, reversible pavilions that harvest and store rainwater while offering comfort and delight to the public. Each “rain room” should collect at least five cubic meters of water per storm and direct it to where it is most needed — neighborhood trees, gardens, or non-potable fountains. Beyond its technical function, each pavilion must celebrate the sensory and social dimensions of rain: its sound, reflection, mist, and movement through space. Architecture here becomes a medium between people and climate — something that makes weather visible, touchable, and communal.
There is no fixed site. Designers may choose any location within Rome that supports their narrative — from a courtyard or market edge to a quiet corner of a piazza. Proposals may also take the form of modular systems that can be installed in multiple settings, adapting to different scales and communities. The focus is not on monumental construction but on light, reversible, and context-aware design — interventions that respect Rome’s historic layers while addressing its environmental future.
The expected outcome is a collection of ideas that show how design can turn necessity into beauty. The most successful proposals will combine environmental logic with emotional resonance — demonstrating that architecture can teach, cool, and inspire all at once. Rome Rain Rooms seeks visions that turn the storm into a civic moment, reminding the city that resilience, generosity, and imagination can still flow together.
Prizes
Prize fund 10,000 €
1ST PLACE 5,000 €
2ND PLACE 2,500 €
3RD PLACE 1,000 €
Buildner Student Award 1,000 €
Buildner Sustainability Award 500 €
6 Honourable mentions & certificates
Key dates
Closing date for registration 28 May 2026
Closing date for project submission 29 June 2026
Announcement of the winners 15 September 2026
Competition Q&A deadline 2 June 2026
Registration fees
EARLY BIRD 13 Nov – 14 Jan | 45-75 €
ADVANCED 15 Jan – 12 Mar | 55-95 €
LAST MINUTE 13 Mar – 28 May | 75-125 €
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