by Redazione 15/11/2026
Categories: News / Disclaimer
From Álvaro Siza to David Chipperfield, including Fuksas and Mario Cucinella: 386 participants from 29 countries are competing for the contract to design the expansion of the Borghese Gallery. The winner will be announced by May 2027 and will receive a prize of over 500,000 euros.
A total of 386 participants from 29 countries, organized into 63 groups, submitted entries to the international competition for the expansion of the Borghese Gallery in Rome. This issue has sparked protests from various associations and prompted reflections from ICOM Italy.
The competition has attracted some of the world’s leading architectural firms, which have been called upon to envision the future of one of Italy’s most prestigious museums and to identify new solutions to improve visitor experience and accessibility. Sponsored by the Borghese Gallery and fully funded by Proger, the competition stems from the need to overcome the museum complex’s current structural and functional limitations. The project aims to enhance visitor reception areas, improve security measures, and make the visitor experience smoother and of higher quality. Other objectives include the possibility of exhibiting works currently stored in the museum’s storage facilities, a more balanced management of tourist flows, and a further strengthening of the museum’s international profile. The competition calls for a proposal for the functional and architectural expansion of the entire complex, developed to the level of a Technical and Economic Feasibility Study.
The list of candidates, published on the websiteof the Order of Architects of Rome, includes leading names in Italian and international architecture. Among them are Fuksas Architecture, Mario Cucinella Architects, Cino Zucchi, Archea Associati, Nemesi Architects, Labics, and Piero Lissoni. They are joined by major international firms such as Álvaro Siza, David Chipperfield Architects, Sou Fujimoto Atelier Paris, Amanda Levete Architects, Rafael Viñoly Architects, 51N4E, and Mecanoo.
With the submission deadline having passed on November 12, the competition now enters its second phase. The 63 proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation committee, which will consider various elements: the methodological report, reference projects, professional résumés, and the composition of the working groups.
By December 18, 2026, a maximum of five finalists will be selected, who will be invited to develop and submit their respective design proposals anonymously by March 18, 2027. The winning project is expected to be selected by May 14, 2027. The cash prize for the first-place winner amounts to 500,750 euros, a sum that also includes compensation for the completion of the Technical and Economic Feasibility Study. The other four selected finalists will each receive a prize of 25,000 euros.
“The number and caliber of the participants confirm once again just how much this competition is a great opportunity to reflect on the Galleria Borghese, a complex that universally embodies the concept of a museum,” stated Francesca Cappelletti, director of the Galleria Borghese. A place brimming with masterpieces, with a centuries-old history, and one that—from its very origins—has been intertwined with a natural setting treated with the same creative care reserved for the art collections themselves. A place that has undergone constant change—first and foremost the transition from a private collection to a public museum—while continually reinterpreting its own history. Thinking, imagining, and designing the future: the Borghese Gallery and Rome are at the center of an international dialogue on architecture, landscape, temporality, and curation. We couldn’t have hoped for more.”
“Pride without prejudice. I’d just like to say this: we saw the big picture,” stated Marco Lombardi, CEO of Proger. “Over 380 participants from twenty-nine countries around the world. One of the largest and most distinguished turnouts ever recorded in the history of architectural competitions in Italy. The response from prestigious figures in Italian and international architecture confirms that our intuition was correct and that this challenge resonates globally. Now we’ll get to work evaluating the proposals and finding the best solution for the Borghese Gallery.”
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| Galleria Borghese, 386 Proposals for Expansion Project: Big Names in International Architecture Compete |
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