Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition - A Contemporary Look at Architecture
• Luis Ferreira Alves Photo Award
• Deadline: January 1st, 2027
• Theme: A Contemporary Look at Architecture
• Prize: €10,000 + Publication + Exhibition
• Entry Fees: Free
• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE
The Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture is a biennial initiative dedicated to celebrating the legacy and artistic contribution of Luis Ferreira Alves, one of Portugal’s most distinguished architectural photographers. The competition honours both his life and his professional achievements, recognising his important role in bridging the transition from analogue to digital photography. His work has earned national and international recognition for its distinctive visual language and its ability to capture architecture with exceptional precision, sensitivity, and depth.
Throughout his career, Luis Ferreira Alves developed a singular approach to architectural photography, combining objective documentation with a subjective interpretation of the built environment. His photographs of works by some of Portugal’s most renowned architects, including Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura, demonstrate his remarkable capacity to reveal the character, spatial qualities, and conceptual intentions of architectural projects. Both architects are recipients of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, and Ferreira Alves’ photographs offer viewers an intimate understanding of their work and the spaces they created.
His images extend far beyond the straightforward representation of buildings. Although they function as visually compelling records of architectural forms and spaces, they also reflect a sophisticated visual culture shaped by centuries of artistic and photographic traditions dating back to the Renaissance. Through carefully considered perspectives, compositions, and attention to detail, Ferreira Alves reveals the relationships between light, space, materials, and architectural structure. His work demonstrates a profound appreciation of architecture as both a physical discipline and a cultural expression, informed by his close engagement with the architectural profession and its creative processes.
The competition and its associated prize are established through an institutional protocol involving the heirs of Luis Ferreira Alves and the organisations responsible for promoting the initiative: Porto City Council (CMP), Casa da Arquitectura (CA), and Cityscopio – Associação Cultural (CCA). Together, these partners seek to preserve the photographer’s legacy while encouraging contemporary approaches to architectural photography and fostering dialogue between photography, architecture, and visual culture.
The initiative is further supported by a network of institutional partners, professional organisations, and private-sector sponsors. These include 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 Portuguese Order of Architects (OA). The competition also benefits from the involvement of CIN, an internationally recognised company in the coatings industry; BPI, a Portuguese financial institution belonging to the CaixaBank Group; and Canon, one of the world’s leading camera and imaging equipment manufacturers. Metro do Porto additionally supports the communication and promotion of the competition through its connection to the city's essential light rail public transport network.
Through this broad collaboration, the Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition seeks to honour an influential photographic legacy while highlighting the continuing importance of architectural photography as a means of documenting, interpreting, and understanding the contemporary built environment.