Lison Winery: Reimagining rural heritage as contemporary wine architecture

Terraviva presents Lison Winery, a new international architecture competition inviting architects and designers to transform Ca’ Rossa, a historic rural complex set among the vineyards of eastern Veneto, into a contemporary boutique winery. Located within the renowned Lison Pramaggiore DOC wine region, the project explores how architecture can reinterpret agricultural heritage while engaging with landscape, culture, and sensory experience.

With prize awards reaching up to 9,000 euros and an international jury composed of leading voices in contemporary architecture and landscape design, the competition positions itself as a platform for innovative thinking at the intersection of tradition and modernity.

DESIGN VISION AND ARCHITECTURAL CHALLENGE

Lison Winery challenges participants to rethink the abandoned Ca’ Rossa farmstead as more than a place of production. The competition calls for a transformation that embraces hospitality, wine tasting, and immersive experiences, redefining the winery as a destination deeply connected to its territory. Architecture is envisioned as a narrative tool, shaping moments of arrival, exploration, rest, and discovery across interior and exterior spaces.

Set within a landscape defined by vineyards and rural rhythms, the project invites a sensitive yet bold approach to adaptive reuse. Designers are encouraged to engage with the existing structure while proposing new spatial relationships that reflect contemporary architectural language. The goal is not restoration alone, but the creation of a living environment where past and present coexist through materiality, form, and spatial sequence.

LANDSCAPE, SPACE, AND EXPERIENCE

Landscape design plays a fundamental role in the proposal, guiding the organization of courtyards, pathways, and transitional spaces that connect architecture to the surrounding vineyards. The competition encourages solutions that enhance year round usability and strengthen the dialogue between built form and open space. Through thoughtful spatial choreography, Ca’ Rossa is reimagined as a place where wine culture unfolds through architecture, movement, and sensory perception.

AWARDS AND INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

The competition offers a total prize pool equivalent to approximately 10,000 US dollars, with the first prize awarded 4,000 euros, followed by second and third prizes of 2,000 and 1,000 euros. Additional recognitions include golden mentions, honorable mentions, and finalist selections, with awarded projects published across Terraviva’s international communication channels. This visibility offers participants valuable exposure within the global architecture and design community.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Participants are asked to submit two A1 horizontal panels illustrating the design proposal, accompanied by a written description of between 250 and 500 words. Submissions should clearly communicate the conceptual approach, architectural strategy, and relationship between the existing structure, new interventions, and the surrounding landscape.

INTERNATIONAL JURY

Projects will be evaluated by a diverse international jury of architects, educators, and designers. The panel includes Daniel Kaven of William Kaven, Patrizia Pisaniello of Microscape, Keelan P Kaiser of CBU, Ella Meliksetian of West 8, Sang Dae Lee of Unitedlab Associates, Laura Buka of Oppenheim Architecture, Waris Sinsuebpol of Rangsit University, and Lorenzo Abate of LC2A Studio. Their collective expertise ensures a rigorous and globally informed assessment process.

TIMELINE AND PARTICIPATION

The competition opens on January 27, with multiple registration phases available through late June. Final submissions are due on June 26, 2026, and the winners will be announced on July 27, 2026. The competition is open to architects and designers worldwide, offering an opportunity to engage with one of Italy’s most culturally rich wine landscapes through contemporary architectural thinking.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Lison Winery invites creative professionals and emerging architects to explore new possibilities for rural architecture, adaptive reuse, and experiential design. By merging wine culture, landscape, and contemporary architecture, the competition seeks proposals that redefine how heritage sites can become vibrant destinations for the future.

Click here for the call for entries.

Link: https://www.designboom.com/competition/lison-winery/