UNESCO, in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA), and with the generous financial support of Italy through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), is administering an international design competition to select a winning design entry for the Construction of a Protective Shelter over Trench I at Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan Archaeological Site in Jericho, State of Palestine.
The competition will start on 24 July 2026 and invites submissions from architects and engineers worldwide to design a protective shelter over Trench I at the site. This is an international open, single-stage architectural design competition conducted in open procedure and endorsed by the International Union of Architects (UIA).
The Site
The archaeological site of Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan is located northwest of the City of Jericho in the State of Palestine, 40 kilometres east of Jerusalem and 10 kilometres northwest of the Dead Sea. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in September 2023, during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the basis of criteria III and IV — marking a significant milestone in the preservation and recognition of one of the world’s oldest inhabited sites.
Known as one of the earliest urban sites in the world, Tell es-Sultan represents not only an invaluable scientific archive but also a profound symbol of continuity, identity, and collective memory for the local community and humanity at large. The property zone covers approximately 5.93 hectares and encompasses a roughly oval-shaped mound that rises approximately 21 metres above its surroundings, together with the adjacent perennial spring of ‘Ain es-Sultan.
Trench I
At the heart of the site lies Trench I, an extraordinary archaeological window into nearly 10,000 years of human history. Excavated between 1952 and 1958, it reveals twenty-nine distinct phases of habitation – from the Neolithic period to the Early and Middle Bronze Ages – offering unparalleled insight into the emergence of early urban life in the Fertile Crescent. This invaluable record is under growing threat. Currently unsheltered, Trench I is exposed to harsh environmental conditions including direct sunlight, wind, and rainfall, as well as increasing visitor pressure. Without adequate protection, these factors risk accelerating erosion, damaging fragile archaeological layers, and diminishing the legibility and educational value of the site.
Home to the Neolithic Tower — a semi-conical structure of 8.5 metres base diameter and 7.75 to 8.25 metres height with an internal staircase of 22 steps — Trench I contains some of the most significant evidence of early human settlement anywhere in the world.
The Proposed Shelter
The competition aims to select an adaptable protective system that meets the specific needs of Trench I while offering a guiding model for other excavated areas of Tell es-Sultan. Beyond its protective function, the shelter as well as the intervention seeks to enhance public understanding through carefully framed views, controlled access, and respectful integration into the cultural landscape. For more information, kindly find the competition brief below.
How to Apply
Who Can Apply
The competition is an open call for proposals based on anonymous design submission. Architects or teams of architects and engineers authorized to practice in their country of residence are invited to develop and submit proposals as companies or joint ventures of individuals and/or companies. For companies and firms, the lead architect must be clearly named.
Eligibility Requirements
The team leader must be an Architect with at least eight (8) years of professional experience in architectural design. The team must include at least one experienced structural engineer with ten (10) years of professional practice, and preferably experience in the structural design of long-span structures.
UN Eligibility Criteria
All participants must meet UN eligibility criteria: (a) not on the exclusion list published on the global portal for suppliers of the United Nations Organisation (ungm.org) due to fraudulent activities; (b) not appearing on the Consolidated United Nations Security Council Sanctions List; (c) not excluded by the World Bank Group.
How to Register
To register for the competition, competitors must complete the registration form here by 15 December 2026 at 5:00 pm Palestine time (GMT+2). Competitors will receive an email confirming their registration to the email address provided in the form. Candidates may register for the competition only once, as part of one team.
Participants will be assigned a User Identification Number (UIN) and a unique link to the folder upon registration. This number must be placed in the top-right corner of the submission. Logos, company names, or any other identifying marks may not appear on submitted documentation — this is a cause for immediate disqualification. Entries will remain anonymous until the jury has published its report.
Submission Requirements
Participants are required to submit their entries in digital format only, to the dedicated folder provide at the time of the registration, by the submission deadline. All documentation must be written in English.
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Deliverables: One report in A4 format (maximum 1,000 words) and four (4) panels in A1 format. Panels submitted as individual PDF files, maximum 40 MB per panel.
Awards:-
- 1st Prize – $30,000: The winner receives the contract for the development of the detailed design and supervision of the Tell es-Sultan protective shelter, and must partner with an experienced local Palestinian professional, architectural office, or educational institution.
- 2nd Prize – $20,000: Financial prize. Runner-up entries will be exhibited on the competition website following the announcement of results.
- 3rd Prize – $10,000: Financial prize. Runner-up entries will be exhibited on the competition website following the announcement of results.
Deadline:- 15-12-2026
