Second CONTEMPORANEA Competition for Experimental Architectural Research Launches in Rome

Casa dell’Architettura in Rome has announced the launch of the second edition of the CONTEMPORANEA competition, to be held from October to December 2026. The initiative aims to support original research and reflection in contemporary architecture. Selected participants will have the opportunity to develop an experimental research project using the Monitor P space.

About the CONTEMPORANEA Competition

The competition is positioned as a platform for interdisciplinary practices combining architecture, planning, landscape design, and restoration. The organisers invite architects, urban planners, landscape architects, and heritage conservation specialists to take part. The key task is to create an experimental research project that will be implemented and presented in the specially dedicated Monitor P space.

The Monitor P Space

Monitor P is a special venue within Casa dell’Architettura, intended for temporary exhibitions and research projects. The format calls not merely for theoretical work but for the material embodiment of ideas—from installations to prototypes. This makes the competition especially appealing to practitioners working with new materials and technologies.

Significance for Timber Construction

Although the competition is not limited to specific materials or technologies, it opens opportunities for specialists in modern mass timber. Experimental research in timber structures, connections, and hybrid systems can find a compelling platform here. The context of historic Rome adds an extra challenge: how to integrate today’s timber innovations into the fabric of a city shaped by centuries of stone architecture—a question that could form the basis of a strong submission.

For participants from the timber construction sector, the CONTEMPORANEA competition is a chance to demonstrate how the experimental science of wood transforms into an architectural statement accessible to both the professional community and the wider public.