UNESCO, in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) and with the financial support of Italy through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), has opened an international, single-stage architectural design competition to select a winning design for the Construction of a Protective Shelter over Trench I at the Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan Archaeological Site in the State of Palestine.
Тhe competition is an international open call conducted in open procedure and endorsed by the International Union of Architects (UIA), inviting submissions from architects and engineers worldwide.
Three selected projects will be awarded financial prizes and the winner receives the contract for the development of the detailed design.
Trench I is an archaeological window into nearly 10,000 years of human history, excavated between 1952 and 1958 and revealing twenty-nine distinct phases of habitation from the Neolithic period to the Early and Middle Bronze Ages. Home to the Neolithic Tower — a semi-conical structure of 8.5 metres base diameter and 7.75 to 8.25 metres height with an internal staircase of 22 steps — Trench I contains some of the most significant evidence of early human settlement in the world. Currently unsheltered, it is exposed to direct sunlight, wind, rainfall, and increasing visitor pressure. The competition aims to select an adaptable protective system that meets the specific needs of Trench I while offering a guiding model for other excavated areas of Tell es-Sultan, enhancing public understanding through carefully framed views, controlled access, and respectful integration into the cultural landscape.
The archaeological site of Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan is located northwest of the City of Jericho, 40 kilometres east of Jerusalem and 10 kilometres northwest of the Dead Sea. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in September 2023, during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, on the basis of criteria III and IV. Known as one of the earliest urban sites in the world, the property zone covers approximately 5.93 hectares and encompasses a roughly oval-shaped mound rising approximately 21 metres above its surroundings, together with the adjacent perennial spring of ‘Ain es-Sultan.
Eligibility
The competition is an open call for proposals based on anonymous design submission. Architects or teams of architects and engineers authorized to practice in their country of residence may submit as companies or joint ventures of individuals and/or companies, with the lead architect clearly named.
- Team leader – Must be an architect with at least eight years of professional experience in architectural design.
- Structural engineer – Teams must include at least one engineer with ten years of professional practice, preferably with experience in the structural design of long-span structures.
- UN criteria – Participants must not be on the exclusion list of the UN global suppliers portal (ungm.org), the Consolidated UN Security Council Sanctions List, or the World Bank Group exclusion list.
- Entry limits – Competitors may register only once, as part of one team, and submit only one project; variants are not allowed.
Prizes
- 1st Prize – $30,000: The winner receives the contract for the development of the detailed design and supervision of the Tell es-Sultan protective shelter, and must partner with an experienced local Palestinian professional, architectural office, or educational institution.
- 2nd Prize – $20,000: Financial prize. Runner-up entries will be exhibited on the competition website following the announcement of results.
- 3rd Prize – $10,000: Financial prize. Runner-up entries will be exhibited on the competition website following the announcement of results.
The jury may also allocate honorary mentions at its discretion. All designs, including those disqualified by the jury, will be exhibited on the competition website for four weeks following the announcement of results, together with the signed jury report.
An international and independent jury, selected by the UNESCO Office in Ramallah and endorsed by the UIA, will review and evaluate all entries against the evaluation criteria; the chair of the jury is elected at the jury’s first meeting.
The official language of the competition is English, and a single round of Q&A is organized — questions are submitted via the dedicated form and answered by 25 September 2026.
The competition brief, competition documents, registration form, and question form are available on the official competition page.
Please check the official website for further information.
No Entry Fee!
It's free to enter.
