Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Award 2025 Open Call

Held biennially, the competition is a notable platform for photographers worldwide to showcase their artistic interpretations of architecture through the lens of one of Portugal’s most celebrated architectural photographers.

Overview

“This prestigious competition, dedicated to the great master whose lens immortalized the works of giants like Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura, challenges photographers to capture the soul of architectural spaces, exploring the union between documentary rigor and expressive freedom. The prize? Not just the glory of victory, but the opportunity to exhibit work, see it published in a curated catalog, and enter the heart of the cultural and academic debate. It's a career springboard supported by institutions like the Porto City Council, Casa da Arquitectura, and the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, with the backing of giants like CIN, Canon, and BPI.” (Domus Magazine).

Open to all individuals worldwide, including university students, researchers, and professionals in architecture, photography, and related fields.

Practical Info

The ‘Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture’ aims to inspire the creation of a photographic series that effectively conveys an architectural work or ensemble, promoting architecture through photography.

Individuals and/or collectives are welcome to apply to the Architecture Category by entering between 5 and 7 photographs from a project that will be evaluated as a whole (as a photographic series), and it is a prerequisite that the photographs possess undeniable technical quality.

The jury will rank the submissions to create a shortlist of 10 projects featured on their website and social outlets. From the 10 best photographic series selected by the jury, the top 3 will be chosen for the 1st (€10,000), 2nd (€4,500), and/or 3rd (€1,500 voucher for photo equipment) prizes. 

Winners also receive copies of ‘Luis Ferreira Alves in the Works of Eduardo Souto de Moura’ book and have their work featured in an exhibition and published in an exclusive catalogue. Selected works will be preserved in the ‘Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Award’ collection, adding to a growing archive that celebrates architectural photography.

The jury comprises three people with recognised competence, prestige, credibility, and international experience: Eduardo Souto de Moura (Architect); Hélène Binet (Photographer); Paulo Catrica (Photographer).

About Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Award

This competition promotes, through the lens of photography, a deep understanding of the practice and discipline of architecture, both in Portugal and worldwide, within broader sociocultural, artistic, technical, political, and historical systems. It aspires to communicate the significant and unique relationship that a photographer can establish with architects and their work. This nuanced comprehensive understanding about the intersection of photography and architecture is something that this Competition seeks to foster and strengthen, especially at a time when architecture is increasingly consumed through images.

Winners will be officially announced on 28 June at Casa da Arquitectura, the competition's Strategic Partner, with the presence of the jury and screenings of the winning series; while on 12 September an awards ceremony and inauguration of the exhibition at the Old Town Hall (Porto) will be held, with launch of the official catalogue.