About

The "Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture" is a biennial programme. It aims to honour the person and the work of this outstanding photographer, who bridged the gap between analogue and digital photography and whose work is recognised both nationally and internationally.

Luis Ferreira Alves' photographic work demonstrates a remarkable ability to create a unique perspective, both "objective" and "subjective", on the work of various renowned Portuguese architects, including Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura. His images convey an intimate understanding of these architects—both Pritzker Prize winners—and the architectural spaces they designed. While it is true that Luis Ferreira Alves offers us visually striking documents of architectural spaces and forms, his perspective, shaped by centuries of visual culture since the Renaissance, goes beyond mere representation. His work reveals a deep understanding and appreciation of architecture due to his close relationship with the practice and discipline itself.

The Prize is based on the "Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture," which, through a protocol, includes the heirs of Luis Ferreira Alves and the promoters of the Competition, namely Porto City Council (CMP), Casa da Arquitectura (CA) and Cityscopio-Associação Cultural (CCA). The Competition integrates other significant institutional partners and sponsors, such as the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRN), the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP), the Marques da Silva Foundation Institute (FIMS) and the Order of Architects (OA); groups of great relevance, such as the CIN brand in the coatings market and widely recognised internationally and one of the largest companies in Europe and the world in the sector. Other notable partners include BPI, a financial institution focused on banking services in Portugal and controlled by CaixaBank Group, an economic leader in Spain, and Canon, one of the largest camera manufacturers in the world. We also have the Metro do Porto support in communicating and publicising the Competition - a light rail network essential to the city's public transport system.

To promote a deep understanding of the practice and discipline of architecture, both in Portugal and worldwide, within broader sociocultural, artistic, technical, political, and historical systems, through the lens of photography.

To communicate the significant and unique relationship that a photographer can establish with an architect and their work. We believe that this nuanced understanding is an important lesson from Luis Ferreira Alves’ architectural photography, and something that this Competition seeks to foster and strengthen, especially at a time when architecture is increasingly consumed through images.

The "Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture" draws inspiration from Luis Ferreira Alves' artistic vision and life experiences, rooted in two key pillars: his deep appreciation for architecture and his enduring connection to the city of Porto. For this reason, Porto City Council - which awarded him the gold medal of Cultural Merit, recognising him as a meritorious citizen of the city, Casa da Arquitectura - as the space that houses a large part of his collection -, and the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto - for its significant connection to the work of Luís Ferreira Alves as an architectural photographer -, among others, are promoters and partners in the organisation of the Competition.

As a pioneer of architectural photography in Portugal, Luis Ferreira Alves contributed to the dissemination of the work of many architects on an international scale. This Competition aims to serve as a pedagogical programme that recognises and highlights emerging talents, both in the field of architectural photography and in architecture itself. This recognition will be achieved through the awarding of prizes, the exhibition of the short lists and winning works, and their publication in a catalogue.

Additionally, the Competition will allow other entities to promote debates and round tables on the theme, open to the academic community and cultural institutions interested in studying and disseminating photography and architecture.

The programme will be organised, in its 1st and 2nd Editions, according to the following schedule:

7 January 2025
Announcement and opening of the “1st Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture”

25 April 2025
Deadline for submission of works to the competition

May 2025
Shortlist announcement

June 2025
Announcement of the 2025 winners / press release

September 2025
Awards ceremony for 2025
Exhibition of the 2025 shortlist and winning projects, and presentation of a catalogue with the selected works

25 April 2026
Announcement and opening of the “2nd Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture”

31 October 2026
Deadline for submission of works to the competition

25 April 2027
Announcement of the 2026 winners
Awards ceremony for the 2026 Competition
Inauguration of the exhibition of the 2026 shortlist and winning projects, and presentation of a catalogue with the selected works

25 April 2028
Announcement and opening of the “3rd Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture”

31 October 2028
Deadline for submission of works to the Competition

The exhibition will showcase the selected works, and may also be accompanied by drawings and other documents related to the process of conceiving and constructing the photographic project of each submission, encouraging reflection on the practice and discipline of photography and its relationship with the world of architecture, which characterised Luis Ferreira Alves’ work.

At the opening of the exhibition of each edition, the prizes will also be awarded. The 1st Prize will include a monetary award, the 2nd Prize will also have a monetary award of lesser value, and the 3rd Prize will be photographic equipment. All the winning works (including the Honourable Mentions, if any) will be published in a catalogue and presented at that event.

The “Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture” was designed to encourage the creation of a photographic series of 5 to 7 images, accompanied by a descriptive text of no more than 2,000 characters, capable of communicating the essence of a work or set of architectural works, while allowing for imagination and a personal approach, in accordance with the principles outlined in the Competition Regulations.