International
Architectural Competition
Centre
for Contemporary
Art
Gabrovo,
Bulgaria
42.88202 °
25.31868 °
Though fleeting, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s projects left iconic afterimages in dozens of natural and urban landscapes, creating, as they themselves put it, “gentle disturbances.”
Their art was a celebration of freedom, beauty, and courage. Christo and Jeanne-Claude not only dreamed of things considered impossible, but they also made them a reality. They negotiated with parliaments, municipalities, and private landowners. They enlisted architects, engineers, environmentalists, filmmakers, photographers, collectors, and hundreds of volunteers as their collaborators. Their projects cost millions, yet remained free and accessible to millions of visitors. Simultaneously monumental and intimate, they were infinitely different from other art created up to that point.
The centre named after them, in Christo’s hometown, is a place not only for presenting art but also for creating it – a place where the spirit of Christo and Jeanne-Claude inspires both artists and the wider public. The architecture of this space requires a bold vision, sensitivity, and deep understanding.
To find the best architectural solution for the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre for Contemporary Art, the Municipality of Gabrovo is inviting architects to participate in a two-stage competition.
The first phase is an open, anonymous competition to develop a conceptual design for the transformation and adaptation of the building of the former Textile Technical School and its adjacent grounds. The top five finalists will each receive a cash prize of EUR 20,000, excluding VAT.
The second phase requires design development and will be conducted through a negotiated procedure without prior publication with the five finalists from the preceding phase. The timeframe for developing the designs is two months. The winner will enter into a design contract worth up to EUR 1,000,000, excluding VAT – for the preparation of an investment project (construction documents, including interior design and design of the permanent exhibitions) and author’s supervision. The deadline for developing the investment project is 125 days.
The value of the construction and installation works, furnishings, and equipment is up to EUR 11,261,103, excluding VAT.
The building of the former Textile Technical School in Gabrovo is located on the left bank of Yantra River. It was chosen to house the new Center for contemporary art both because of its spacious workshops with high ceilings, which can be transformed into excellent exhibition halls and production spaces, and because of the connection between the main subject of the school – textiles – and the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
built-up area
2737 m²
total gross floor area
13,300 m²
courtyard
9000 m²
Deadline for submitting conceptual designs on the Centralized Automated Information System for Electronic Public Procurement (CAIS EPP) platform
August 10, 2026
Announcement of results; the first five projects in ranking receive awards
August 23, 2026
Announcement of the second stage: a negotiation procedure without prior notice; invitations to take part are the five awarded projects in the previous stage
October 23, 2026
Deadline for submitting offers (containing design development) in the negotiation procedure
November 10, 2026
Announcement of the winner of the design contract
March 25, 2027
Submission of the detailed investment project (construction documents)
October 2028
Final deadline for completing renovation, construction, furnishing, equipping, and implementation of the permanent exhibition projects
The international jury has selected the five finalists in the competition to transform the former Textile Technical School into the future Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center for Contemporary Art:
— Peer Collective — Brno
— Yuichi Uehara Architects — Tokyo
— Georges Batzios Architects — Athens
— MOA Architecture — Marseille + Hardel et Le Bihan Architectes — Paris/Marseille
— Ina Valkanova — Sofia, 51N4E (Acte studio) — Brussels + TEN — Zurich/Belgrade
Chair of the jury Boštjan Vuga describes the future Center not as a finished object, but as a “framework for change” — a space that enables an ongoing process of transformation, both of the building itself and of Gabrovo.
Congratulations to the five finalists, and we wish them success in the next phase! We also thank all the architectural teams who took part in the competition.
The competition is organised by the Municipality of Gabrovo and aims to transform and adapt the building and its surrounding area into a new international centre for contemporary art, culture and education.
Gabrovo Municipality informs that, as of 11 August 2026, the international jury continues its work on the “Open Competition for an Ideas Concept for the Reconstruction and Conversion of the Textile Technical School Building into the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center for Contemporary Art, Gabrovo.”
Once the jury has completed its work, the results will be announced in accordance with the established procedure through CAIS EPP and published on the competition website and on the website of Gabrovo Municipality.
We thank all participants!
The deadline for submissions is extended until July 27, 11:59 p.m. EET. All bids should be completed on the website of CAIS EPP (Centralized Automated Information System for Electronic Public Procurement). There are no alternative methods for submission of proposals.
Please note that the bidding platform has its specificities. Dedicate sufficient time for the application process. The Frequently Asked Questions section of the CAIS EPP is available here.
Please also note that CAIS EOP requires decryption before the bids submitted in the public procurement can be opened. After the deadline for submitting bids has passed, the System sends the participant an email with a link to the bid workspace that is to be decrypted. The specific steps are described in point 7.3 of the Guide for Economic Operators – Candidates and Participants in Public Procurement, available here.
