The government of Ecuador has closed the first stage of its international call for architectural designs for the new National Museum building. The deadline for submitting credentials and portfolios was February 17, 2026, according to a statement from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, in collaboration with the National Museum of Ecuador and technical advisors from the College of Architects of Ecuador.
A total of architecture firms and mixed teams from 27 countries participated in this initial phase. The organizers noted that this level of interest highlights the cultural and symbolic importance of the project for Ecuador.
The competition targeted architects and multidisciplinary teams able to demonstrate experience with projects of similar scale and complexity. Submissions are now under review by an evaluation committee composed of institutional delegates—including Carla Arellano Granizo (delegate from the Vice President’s office), Romina Alejandra Muñoz Procel (Vice Minister of Culture), and Roberto Luque Nuques (Minister of Infrastructure and Transport or his delegate)—as well as technical delegates Diego Ordóñez Holguín (president of CAE-P or his delegate) and Hernán Crespo Bermejo (international museum design specialist). Carlos Montalvo Puente, director of the National Museum, serves as a non-voting consultative member.
The list of selected teams advancing to the next stage will be published on March 13. In Stage 2, these teams will present their architectural design proposals. A single winner will be chosen to receive an award worth $450,000 USD, which includes delivering a complete preliminary project as specified in the competition guidelines.
Officials stated that this process represents significant progress toward establishing modern infrastructure to support preservation and dissemination efforts for Ecuador’s cultural heritage.
