In June 2025, Parks Canada launched an international design competition for the iconic 200-Block of Banff Avenue in Banff National Park.
The design competition for the 200-Block Banff Avenue Redevelopment Project followed established industry standards and protocols and brought professional expertise to the evaluation process to generate world-class conceptual designs for this unique and iconic Canadian landmark.
The design competition was concluded in April 2026. The winning submission (Design #5) is a joint venture between Kengo Kuma & Associates and Paul Raff Studio, bringing together Canadian and international design expertise. The independent jury selected this design for its strong potential to evolve into a welcoming, resilient, and meaningful public place: one that balances architecture and landscape as equal and integrated components, while respecting the unique ecological, cultural, and heritage context of Banff National Park.
The jury produced a formal report after the design competition. The report presents the:
- Competition participants and entries
- Competition framework
- The jury members
- Deliberations and assessment of projects
- Concluding decision
You can read the report here.