Buildner has announced the results of its Museum of Emotions Competition Edition 5. The Museum of Emotions is an annual international design competition that tasks participants with exploring the extent to which architecture can be used as a tool to evoke emotion.
The brief calls for the design of a conceptual museum with two exhibition halls: one designed to induce negative emotions, and the other to induce positive emotions. Participants are free to choose any site—real or imaginary—and can determine the scale of the project. The terms 'positive' and 'negative' are open to interpretation: What contrasting emotions might a designer explore? How might an architect conceive spaces that provoke fear, anger, anxiety, love or happiness?
The Museum of Emotions is a 'silent' competition, meaning participants must communicate ideas solely through imagery, without the use of text. No form of written content—whether design descriptions, annotations or even diagrammatic labels—is permitted.
Museum of Emotions No. 6 is Launched
The next edition of this competition, the Museum of Emotions Competition Edition 6, has been launched with a 10,000 EUR prize fund and a registration deadline of March 27, 2025.
Buildner's other ongoing competitions include the 2025 edition of the Kingspan MICROHOME competition with a 100,000 EUR prize fund and the 2024/25 House of the Future competition with a 250,000 EUR prize fund. The House of the Future annual competition is organized in collaboration with the government of Dubai, and invites architects to design innovative, sustainable, and technologically advanced residential concepts that embody Dubai's vision for the future of urban living, where winning submissions are to be constructed.
Jury Panel
Buildner worked with an international jury panel to evaluate the received entries:
- Bartosz Haduch, an architect, teacher, and publicist leading the interdisciplinary collective NArchitekTURA in Poland;
- Lydia Kallipoliti, an architect, engineer, and scholar who serves as Associate Professor directing the MS in Advanced Architectural Design at Columbia University GSAPP and Principal of ANAcycle thinktank;
- Jürgen Mayer H., founding partner of J.MAYER.H und Partner in Germany;
- Nuno Pimenta, an architect based in Porto, Portugal, whose transdisciplinary practice spans temporary architecture, installations, public art, exhibition design, and performance;
- Françoise N'Thépé, head of the Paris-based practice FRANÇOISE N'THÉPÉ ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN;
- Stephanie Deumer, a Canadian visual artist currently living and working in Los Angeles;
- Julien de Smedt, founder of Brussels-based JDS Architects;
- Lei Zheng, an associate at Zaha Hadid Architects in China.
Book in Print
To put additional focus on this topic, Buildner has published the book Emotional Architecture: Designing Experiences That Provoke Feelings, which delves into the intricate relationship between architecture and the spectrum of human emotions. It explores how spaces can profoundly influence our feelings, from serenity and joy to anxiety and melancholy, through the use of light, layout, materials, and more. The projects exhibited in this book are curated from submissions received over several editions of the Museum of Emotions competition. They reflect an array of ideas submitted from architects and designers from around the globe.
Architecture and Emotion Through History
Since ancient civilization architecture has performed as a mirror for human values, with the design of buildings reflecting an interplay between function and aesthetics using available materials and responding to the conditions of site and context. Whether for habitation, work, religion, culture or sport, the architecture of buildings has invariably impacted, guided and resonated with the human psyche, and performed as a centerpiece to the human experience.
The Emotional Impact of Architecture Beyond Form and Scale
Contemporary architects explore the psychological impact of spaces, considering factors like color, lighting, and spatial arrangement. The design of workplaces, for example, increasingly focuses on creating environments that promote productivity and well-being. Open, collaborative spaces are juxtaposed with private, quiet areas of focus, catering to the diverse emotional needs of individuals within a shared workspace.
In residential architecture, there is a growing emphasis on creating homes that nurture a sense of well-being. Natural materials, ample light, and green spaces are chosen deliberately by architects to craft environments that support and enhance the ebb and flow of daily life and to provide sanctuaries from the demands of the outside world.
Meanwhile, forms of sacred architecture and museums remain experimental, connecting visitors in various ways with daylight, nature and materials to achieve various impacts on the human psyche.
Emotion: Subjective or Universal?
Architecture is rarely a one-size-fits-all equation. A minimalist structure may evoke serenity for one but feel sterile to another. A grand structure may empower some visitors, while making many feel powerless. Emotional resonance is, in essence, often a dialogue between the architecture and the individual, where personal experiences and cultural nuances intermingle with the physicality of a space.
As we navigate this nuanced relationship, it becomes evident that architecture is not a static backdrop but an active participant in our daily lives. It molds our experiences, shapes our memories, and leaves an indelible mark on our emotional landscapes.
Projects
First Prize Winner + Buildner Student Award
Project title: Beautifully Cruel
Authors: Minseok Choi and Jang Doyeong from Sangmyung University, South Korea
This project explores the relationship between architecture, nature, and human experience through a striking contrast. The exterior, wrapped in a floral envelope that changes with the seasons, symbolizes time and connection to nature. In contrast, the dark, static interior creates a contemplative, introspective space. Light filters through gaps in the gabion walls and ceilings, while flowers planted by visitors transform the exterior into a vibrant, ever-changing landscape. Over time, the outside grows lively, while the interior becomes darker, drawing people together in search of light. Beautifully Cruel reflects on societal contrasts, emotions, and the passage of time through simplicity.
Second Prize Winner
Project title: Borderline
Authors: Hongyang Deng, 蔡 映雪 and Jianing Guo, from China
This project uses a curvilinear form to create a strong connection between the landscape and the shoreline, guiding visitors along a path that evokes a progression of emotional and spatial experiences. The wavy design gestures both soften and emphasize the dramatic boundary of the cliff, directing views alternately towards the land and the sea. This careful integration respects the natural context while offering a protected space for reflection and play. The design captures the duality of its site—the joy of a verdant landscape alongside the stark edge of the shoreline—offering a thoughtful exploration of topography and human interaction with nature.
Third Prize Winner
Project title: With (in)
Authors: Thomas Tovar and Samantha Rodriguez from Florida International University, USA
This project explores the relationship between architecture and nature, offering a tranquil space that balances interior and exterior. A cave-like enclosure contrasts with a cantilevered platform over ocean cliffs, creating a dialogue between solitude and interaction. The dark cave, accessed via a water-lined path, amplifies introspection, while the open platform encourages group conversations. Spatial elements, like rocks for sitting or standing, shape these interactions. Monochromatic and simple, the design emphasizes continuity and contrasts, guiding visitors through a journey that balances enclosure and openness. Typologies of a Conversation examines how environments influence our conversations with others and within ourselves.
Honorable Mentions
Project title: Spectrum
Authors: Shraddha Nepal and Ananya Vachher, from the UK
Inspired by Varanasi's Ghats leading to the Ganges, this design symbolizes the spiritual journey from despair to enlightenment. Visitors begin on obstructed, uneven steps that gradually smoothen as they approach the water, accompanied by pergolas draped with fabric that transitions from tangled chaos to clarity. The color palette shifts from dark, turbulent tones to light, serene hues, reflecting an emotional journey from turmoil to hope. This progression mirrors the path of spiritual awakening, offering a reflective and transformative experience that guides visitors through the metaphorical stages of confusion, clarity, and enlightenment.
Project title: Change One Thing
Authors: Nina Luka, from Germany
This minimalist wooden pavilion contrasts confinement and freedom. Composed of two identical rooms differing only in height, it symbolizes how a single change can transform everything. Set in nature, perhaps along a mountain trail, the journey begins in a dark, pillar-dominated room, evoking confinement. A long staircase leads to the second room, where light and openness represent freedom. This progression serves as a metaphor for the challenging yet rewarding journey from negative to positive emotions, offering a tangible reflection on transformation and the power of subtle change.
Project title: The Origami
Authors: Yang Wu, from the United Kingdom
This project explores dualities like positivity and negativity, likened to the front and back of a folded sheet of paper. Folding creates contrasts between surface and depth, light and shadow, sharpness and openness, forming the conceptual foundation. Spatial strategies accentuate these contrasts while integrating natural vegetation for balance. The design features a vast, green rooftop symbolizing openness and positivity, paired with a serene underground museum reflecting depth and introspection. This interplay of opposites embodies the emotional spectrum and highlights the transformative potential of spatial design.
Project title: Home
Authors: Manh Le Tran, from the United States
This proposal is a tribute to the House, a witness to humanity's joy and sorrow, dreams and despair, fulfillment and emptiness. From afar, its solemn form feels familiar yet slightly surreal. Entry is not through a door but a stark cut, evoking the sensation of stepping into a Block of Memories. Inside, every footstep through the Spaces of Life stirs deep, emotional resonance, offering an evocative reflection on the essence of human existence.
Highlighted Submissions
Project title: Shadow of Desire
Author: Yiwei Chen from the United States
This project explores the intertwined emotions of observation and exhibition through an installation that merges intimacy with architectural scale. A framed structure draped in fabric mesh forms a semi-transparent volume, with punctuated openings inviting glimpses. Dual lighting designs enhance this duality: diffused light encourages curiosity, while spotlights turn the space into a stage, casting shadows of performers. Visitors can step inside, becoming performers, or observe from outside, intrigued by the veiled scene. This interplay reflects on the fluid boundaries between private and public personas in contemporary society, prompting deeper contemplation on visibility and identity.
Join the upcoming Museum of Emotions Competition Edition 6! With a €10,000 prize fund and a registration deadline on March 27, 2025, this is your chance to showcase your creativity and innovation.