By popular international demand, The Africatown International Design Idea Competition registration deadline of January 19, 2022, has been extended to September 19, 2022.
We have attracted new major philanthropic partners with unprecedented international design reach across all continents, especially Africa: The World Monuments Fund, via the individual nomination of Professional Competition Organizer Renee Kemp-Rotan. This new partnership insists that Competition time lines be extended to garner the most provocative global architectural responses to Africatown, Alabama, the only African-based community built in 19th century Mobile, Alabama, after the Civil War.
As Competition organizers, we have programmed the largest African-centric, multi-site design idea Competition the world has yet to see. Expanded distribution of this Competition Program promises to elevate contemporary debate about Black spaces that matter and African-centric architecture, worldwide. World-wide circulation of the Competition challenge and its resulting submissions will soon produce a far-reaching, first-class design manifesto that transforms Africatown into an international world-class heritage destination.
On March 1, 2022, the World Monuments Fund announced that Africatown was added to its 2022 World Monuments Watch, making the Africatown community one among 25 global heritage sites of extraordinary significance and in need of immediate preservation. World Monuments Fund’s partnership with local communities has the potential to make a meaningful difference in these communities facing significant challenges:
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- Emerging African Historic Narratives;
- Architecture and Cultural identity;
- Underrepresented Heritage;
- Imbalanced Tourism; and
- Crisis Recovery.
REVISED COMPETITION DATES
Registrants who met the original January 19, 2022, deadline may submit their designs as early as April 19, 2022, or as late as January 19, 2023. All competition submissions will be reviewed. NOTE: All open Competition design submissions will remain anonymous.
RESCHEDULED Competition dates are as follows:
- Final Day to REGISTER, September 19, 2022;
- Final Day to SUBMIT DESIGNS, January 19, 2023;
- Initial JURY reviews, February 19, 2023;
- WINNERS announced, March 19. 2023;
- WINNERS WILL BE INVITED to join us in Mobile, Alabama, for the first annual International Conference on African Monument Design and Heritage Tourism on Juneteenth (JUNE 19) 2023.
UPDATE March 6, 2022: The Competition dates were extended to accommodate the WMF’s international announcement. Learn more HERE.