Architectural design competition for Fez medina

Architects from around the world are invited to take part in a competition to upgrade a large square in the Fez medina.

Place Lalla Yeddouna (also known as Sahat Yaddouna) is between the Qarawyine and the Chaouwara Tanneries next to the River Boukhrareb, and in fact a bridge crosses the river from this square into the Andalous quarter.

Sahat Yaddouna

The competition has been launched by L’Agence du Partenariat pour le Progrès (APP) together with ADER-Fès. In accordance with UNESCO-UIA regulations, the competition is part of a programme for the economic and social development of this sector of the medina through the development of its cultural, artisan and tourist potential. Place Lalla Yeddouna will serve in the future as a vibrant mixed-use hub for the community as well as for visitors to the medina. The preservation of the architectural and cultural heritage of the site, registered on the UNESCO world heritage list, is a fundamental aspect of the competition programme.

The competition is in two stages. At the end of the first stage, the jury will select about eight projects; the selected teams will be invited to participate in the second stage for which they will each receive a fee of US$40,000. At the end of the second stage, the jury will award a US$55,000 first prize, a $40,000 second prize, and a $25,000 third prize.

The submission deadline for entries in the first stage is 8 November, and the submission deadline for invited second-stage entries will be in February 2011. The final jury meeting will take place in March 2011.

The jury is comprised of Moroccan authorities and representatives from the USA, and also includes the following architects: David Chipperfield, United Kingdom; Matthias Sauerbruch, Germany; Marc Angélil, Switzerland-USA; Meisa Batayneh Maani, Jordan; Stefano Bianca, Switzerland; Omar Farkhani, Morocco; and Rodolfo Machado, USA-Argentina.

Registration for the competition will take place on the competition website at www.projectcompetition-fez.com. The language of the competition is English, and there is no registration fee.