The Federal University of Ceará (UFC), in partnership with the Institute of Architects of Brazil – Ceará Department (IAB/CE), has launched the National Public Competition for Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape Design for the UFC Arts, Culture, and Events Center, a project that will occupy one of the most symbolic sites along the Fortaleza waterfront. Registration has been open since August 13 and continues until October 6, 2026, with the final deadline for proposal submissions on October 21, 2026.
The new cultural space will be built on the site formerly occupied by the São Pedro Building, the old Iracema Plaza Hotel, at 9 Arariús Street, in the Praia de Iracema neighborhood. This location currently hosts the São Pedro Cultural Plaza, a public space managed by the UFC Dean of Culture. The structure occupies the site of the former São Pedro Building, maintaining urban permeability and reinforcing the population’s affective connection to the site until the construction of the Arts, Culture, and Events Center, which will result from this competition.
The competition brief requires that proposals engage with existing urban conditions and the site’s historical and symbolic significance, valuing the memory of the place as an integral part of the architectural design.
More than just a building, the proposal is an urban gesture: recognizing the memory of the territory and designing the future of culture in Fortaleza.
Competition Objectives
The objective is to select the architectural proposal that best meets the technical, urban, environmental, cultural, and institutional guidelines defined in the Competition Brief. Evaluation criteria include:
Qualification of spaces for artistic, cultural, academic, and institutional activities
Appropriate urban insertion, with accessibility and integration into the public realm
Public, inclusive, and representative character of the facility
Environmentally sustainable solutions adapted to the local climate
Technical, constructive, and economic feasibility of the proposal
The judging process takes place in a single phase, conducted by a Jury responsible for the final ranking and selection of the winning proposal.
Awards
UFC will award a total of R$ 140,000 in prizes to the top three proposals:
1st place: R$ 80,000.00
2nd place: R$ 40,000.00
3rd place: R$ 20,000.00
How to participate
Registration and proposal submissions must be made exclusively through the official competition website, concursocaceufc.org.br, by the deadline established in the official schedule, based on BrasÃlia time.
The competition is open to architects and urban planners, whether working individually or in teams, from large firms to independent professionals, reinforcing its democratic character.
Further information, the complete competition brief, and the detailed schedule are available on the official website: concursocaceufc.org.br.
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