UFC and IAB/CE Launch National Architecture Competition for New Arts and Culture Center in Fortaleza

The Federal University of Ceará (UFC), together with the Institute of Architects of Brazil – Ceará Department (IAB/CE), has launched a National Public Competition for Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape Design for the UFC Center for Arts, Culture, and Events. The project will occupy one of the most symbolic sites on the Fortaleza coastline. Registration opened on August 13 and runs until October 6, 2026, with a deadline for proposal submissions on October 21, 2026. The new cultural space will be built on the site of the former São Pedro Building, previously the Iracema Plaza Hotel, at 9 Arariús Street in the Praia de Iracema neighborhood. Currently, the site houses the Praça Cultural São Pedro, a public space managed by UFC's Pro-Rectorate for Culture. The structure occupies the land of the old São Pedro Building, maintaining urban permeability and affirming the population's affective appropriation until the construction of the Center for Arts, Culture, and Events, which will result from the competition. The competition guidelines require proposals to engage with urban pre-existences and the historical and symbolic significance of the site, valuing the memory of the place as part of the architectural project. The initiative underscores the importance of preserving cultural heritage while fostering contemporary architectural dialogue in Fortaleza.