Light of Tomorrow by VELUX will launch in September 2026
Same competition – new name.
The International VELUX Award for students of architecture will relaunch as Light of Tomorrow by VELUX for the 2026 edition of the competition and award!
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For now, get inspired by browsing the 2024 projects and previous winners:
About Light of Tomorrow by VELUX 2026
The competition challenges students to explore the theme of daylight – to create a deeper understanding of this ever-relevant source of energy, light, and life.
Every second year since 2004, the VELUX Group has invited students of architecture to participate in the Light of Tomorrow by VELUX, formerly known as the International VELUX Award for students of architecture. The competition and award seeks to challenge the students to explore the role of daylight in architecture and inspire new thinking. The aim of the competition and award is to engage with students of architecture about how to use sunlight and daylight as main sources of energy and light and how to ensure health and well-being of the people who live and work in buildings.
Since the launch, it has grown into the largest competition and award of its kind with students from 800 schools, from 130 countries of all continents, submitting more than 6,000 projects on the award theme “Light of Tomorrow”.
The competition and award is global and open to any registered student of architecture backed by a teacher from a school of architecture. The total prize money is up to 7,000 Euro per winner. The jury, comprising internationally renowned architects, will find eight winners – five regional winners plus three special prize winners. Regional and special prize winners will enjoy an expenses-paid trip to Europe to attend a workshop and an architectural event where one global winner will be found after presenting projects live to the jury.
Light of Tomorrow by VELUX 2026 is arranged in close collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA) and acknowledged by the following educational organizations: The European Association for Architectural Education, The American Institute of Architecture Students, the Architectural Research Centers Consortium, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.
The winners of the 2024 competition were elected from over 468 daylight projects submitted by students from 220 different schools of architecture in 63 countries. You can see the full list of the elected winners and their projects here.
- Global winner category Daylight in Buildings: The Light Filter by students Wan Zilin, Poon Gin Yong & Zang Jiayou , Tsinghua University , China
- Global winner category Daylight Investigations: Solar Sinter by student Anders Eugen Lund, Royal Danish Academy, Denmark.
Listen to the winning teams from the 2022 edition share their thoughts and feelings on their experiences participating in the competition and award.
Louise Grønlund won the International VELUX Award in 2006, and is now working as an Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. Her journey began with her passion for photography, which inspired her winning project.
From channeling the prize money into architectural studies in Japan to recently creating a mesmerizing daylight pavilion in Copenhagen, Louise’s success in 2006 kick-started her exploration into the fascinating topic of daylight in architecture.