Van Alen Institute relaunches Paris Prize as Re:Paris Prize with focus on post-colonial urbanism

The Van Alen Institute has announced the relaunch of its historic Paris Prize as the Re:Paris Prize, shifting the program’s focus toward reparative and regenerative urbanism in post-colonial regions. The inaugural 2026 edition will be organized in partnership with the Pan-African Biennale, a continental biennale dedicated to architecture and the built environment.

Originally established in 1904, the Paris Prize operated as an annual design competition until 1997. Early winners received a year of study at Paris’s École des Beaux-Arts, while past recipients included architects William Van Alen, Max Abramovitz, and Richard H. Granelli.

The reformulated prize will initially focus on Africa, with Pan-African Biennale founding curator Omar Degan contributing to its themes and the selection and mentoring of recipients. Three designers will each receive a $35,000 travel fellowship to undertake field research and develop design proposals.