Openair Suites , Bronte, Catania / Italien

 

TerraViva launches OPENAIR SUITES, a new international architecture competition inviting participants to design an Architectural Brandbook for a system of contemporary accommodation suites immersed in Sicily’s volcanic landscape.

 

Prizes up to 8.000 € will be awarded to the winners, selected by an international jury panel including Giovanni Polazzi (Archea Associati), Aldo Cingolani (Bertone Design), Eugenia Pronzati (The Blue Corner) and Sergio Pitrone (:Vertumn), among others.

 

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.

 

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.

 

• 1st Prize: 3.000€

• 2nd Prize: 2.000€

• 3rd Prize: 1.000€

• 5 Golden Mentions: coupon for a free membership

• 10 Honorable Mentions: coupon for a free competition

• 30 Finalists: published on Terraviva channels

 

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.

 

One A3 Booklet (horizontal - max 30 pages) and one A1 Panel (59,4 x 84,1 cm - horizontal).

 

• Giovanni Polazzi [Firenze, Italy] | Archea Associati

• Aldo Cingolani [Milan, Italy] | Bertone Design

• Eugenia Pronzati [Milan, Italy] | Dropshot / The Blue Corner

• Sergio Redaelli [Milan, Italy] | Crippaconcept

• Sergio Pitrone [Milan, Italy] | :Vertumn

• Gloria Pierluigi [Modena, Italy] | Fuorirotta

• Francesco Salvaggio [Florence, Italy] | myGlamping.it

• Giorgia Dallasio [Milan, Italy] | Sustainable Brand Platform

 

• Competition Opening: January 20th

• 69 € “Early” Registrations: January 20th - March 6th

• 99 € “Standard” Registrations: March 6th - March 27th

• 129 € “Late” Registrations: March 27th - April 10th

• Submission Deadline: April 10th, 2026

• Winners Announcement: May 11th, 2026

 

 

The competition is open to students, architects, designers, artists, engineers, urban planners, makers and creatives of all kinds. Participants can compete individually or in teams.

 

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