Europe 40 Under 40®

Europe 40 Under 40® is an annual awards program that celebrates the next new talented generation of European architects and designers. The program is directed to support new and emerging design talents that will influence the near future of European design, thinking, and theory with the direct consequence of impacting future environments and future European and international cities. The key is to bring wider recognition to 40 of the most promising emerging professionals working in the European Union and other countries inside Europe, fostering and encouraging new talent and new creative thinking at the forefront of tomorrow's profession.

The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design are pleased to announce the initiation of selection of this year’s most promising and emerging design talents in Europe for 2024. Forty architects and industrial designers will be selected this year by a jury of architecture and design practitioners, academics and publishers invited by The European Centre's advisory committee. The program is initiated to spotlight and identify the next generation of architects and industrial designers who will impact future living and working environments, while providing an insight of the architectural and design scene in Europe. Τhe program is open to architects, landscape architects, interior design architects, urban planners and industrial designers, who are up to 40 years old..

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

ELIGIBILITY: Every year, architects and designers under the age of 40 (as of December 31, 2024) are invited to submit projects (built or unbuilt, manufactured or conceptual) to be judged by a panel of distinguished architectural and design practitioners, developers, architectural journalists, educators, and critics. Important Notice: Participants either working as individual practitioners or collaborating inside an established firm as the principal lead designer of the projects submitted, can only apply as individuals, no firms allowed.

In addition to all European Union member countries, architects and designers from the following European nations are invited to participate: Either be a citizen of one of the 28 countries that are part of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom) or be a citizen of Albania, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canary Islands, Faeroe Islands, Georgia, Lichtenstein, North Macedonia, Iceland, Moldavia, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, San Marion, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey.

Eligible architectural projects (built or conceptual) may include residential, commercial, institutional, educational, civic, religious and transport buildings, urban planning, urban design, landscape architecture, interior architecture etc.

Eligible industrial design projects (manufactured or conceptual) may include furniture, appliances, utensils, accessories, tools, electronics etc.

The deadline for the 2024-2025 program is December 15th, 2024. Applications are available online at The Chicago Athenaeum website at www.chi-athenaeum.org.

JURY CRITERIA: Projects are judged on the merit of design innovation with the emphasis of pushing the envelope beyond conventional methods and exploring new theories, ideas, and approaches to contemporary design. Additional criteria for evaluation includes the use of the latest technologies, the investigation of new materials, the incorporation of energy conservation and environmental consciousness in design and a forward-thinking respect for green design as mandated by the European Union. The jury will select individual participants on the basis of submitted work and the potential of their impact on the future of the profession.

PROGRAM RESULTS: The results of Europe 40 Under 40® Awards will be announced in early 2024 and will be presented as an exhibition that will open in Athens, at THE EUROPEAN CENTRE during the fall year of the same year. All award-winning architects and designers will be included in the edition entitled Next New Talented Generation of European Architects & Designers by Metropolitan Arts Press Ltd.

Each applicant can submit between 1-3 projects for consideration.
For posted applications, attach the following on one zip file (per project):

• A postal or online completed application form.
• Three to six (3 to 6) photographs and drawings per project, in 300 dpi JPEG format, no larger than 4-6 MB each. 
• One-page description per project in .docx format (no more than 150 words).
• Application fee of €275.

Cheques made payable to: The European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. Payment can be made by Mastercard/Visa/American Express or by bank wire transmission. E-mail for electronic payment details.