CALL FOR ENTRIES!!
ADF DESIGN AWARD 2026
NPO Aoyama Design Forum (ADF), a non-profit organization, is pleased to announce the ADF Design Award 2026, the 16th annual international design award organized by ADF. Award submissions will be accepted from Friday, August 15, 2025, to Friday, December 19, 2025 (JST). There will be a Grand Prize of US$10,000 and two Awards of Excellence of US$5,000 from all categories, for approximately US$20,000. The ADF Design Awards is an excellent opportunity to showcase your design work to the world.
The mission of the ADF Design Awards is to discover and recognize the latest and most outstanding designs worldwide and introduce design to people who have not known it. We emphasize how the design was created and what ideas were put into it, not merely how beautiful it looks. We are looking for entries that challenge us to break completely new design ground with innovative ideas that enrich people’s lives and are environmentally friendly.
Furthermore, as a supplementary prize, the Grand Prize winner and the Excellence Award winners will be able to exhibit their works at the ADF venue in Fuori Salone during the Milano Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the world’s largest furniture trade fair, scheduled to be held in April 2026. A reception party will also be held to provide an opportunity for exchange with interested parties. In addition, the winner will be given the chance to exhibit their work at “COCO WARP”, the Metaverse Museum operated by ADF, and to provide PR support for one year. We look forward to receiving your great works that will be presented to the world during the Milano Design Week, attracting the world’s attention.
Application Guidelines
- Title: ADF Design Award 2026
- Award Categories:
- Hospitality: hotel, casino, theme park, pavilion, and so forth
- Commercial & Office: shopping center, department store, office building, and so forth
- Housing Complex: non-private residence, non-interior
- Education & Sports: school, research facility, stadium, and so forth
- Cultural Buildings: theater, library, museum, art gallery, hospital, and so forth
- Public Architecture: government and municipal building, airport, station, port, and so forth
- Application Period: August 15, 2025 – December 19, 2025 (JST)
- Prize:
Grand Award: US$10,000 (1 work from all categories)
Excellence Award: US$5,000 (2 works from all categories)
※However, some awards may be considered “not applicable”.
- Supplemental Prize:
The Grand Award and Excellence Award winners will have their works exhibited at the ADF venue in Fuori Salone during the “Milano Salone”: Exhibition includes photo panels and architectural models
ADF will cover up to USD 1,000 for set-up costs
The winning entries will have the opportunity to be exhibited at the “COCO WARP”, the Metaverse Museum run by ADF
The grand prize winner will receive PR support from the ADF Business Matching Division for one year
- Entry Work: Completed work within 3 years
- Eligibility:
Individuals or groups (up to one work per group)
Any nationality is eligible
Must be a member of ADF (*No fee is required to join)
- Application fee: Free
- Submission:
- Design Proposal: Design concept, materials, and details (A4 size, no more than 5 pages in PDF format)
*Resolution of 300 dpi or higher, file size of 10M or less, font size of 11pt or higher
- Curriculum Vitae (maximum of 5 pages in A4 horizontal PDF format)
Criteria:
Beauty: Artistic value in shape, color, detailing, and material selection
Innovation: Responding to social changes, using new materials, innovative construction processes, and pioneering designs. Innovation is a challenge within limited conditions
Usefulness: The architecture and building are beneficial and sustainable for its users and the environment
Regional / Cultural / Chronological : The architecture and building blends with and differentiates itself from the region, and its superficial beauty fits with the times and cultural context
- Juries: TBA
- Announcement of results: March 10, 2026
- Language: English
- Organizer: ADF
- Email: [email protected]
- Others:
All prizes are tax-inclusive
The organizer reserves the right to decide on matters other than those stated in the application guidelines if necessary.
Applicants shall ensure that their entries do not infringe, in whole or in part, on the rights (intellectual property rights, copyrights, etc.) of any third party before submitting them. The copyright of the submitted work belongs to the applicant. Applicants are responsible for taking measures to protect their rights as necessary.
If the ADF will use entry works for publicity or other purposes per the purpose of the Award, the applicants agree to allow this use free of charge.