Open Call: A NEW CROSSROADS FOR BAGHDAD – REIMAGINING THE CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION
Open Call: A NEW CROSSROADS FOR BAGHDAD – REIMAGINING THE CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION
The Dewan Award for Architecture 2025 invites architects, designers, students, and emerging studios from around the world to reimagine Baghdad’s Central Railway Station — a historic landmark poised for transformation.
This is more than a design challenge. It’s an open call to envision how architecture can honour the past while shaping the future. We welcome bold, context-sensitive proposals that balance heritage preservation with civic ambition, and architectural vision with urban integration.
Participants will have the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful dialogue about the role of public space, mobility, and memory in shaping Baghdad’s urban fabric. Whether working individually or in multidisciplinary teams, entrants are encouraged to explore innovative and inclusive ideas that reconnect this iconic site with the life of the city.
Join a global platform that celebrates creativity, critical thinking, and architectural excellence. Share your vision, make your mark, and be part of redefining one of Baghdad’s most significant public spaces.
Vision
This project envisions the Baghdad Central Railway Station as a revitalised landmark that honours its heritage while driving urban renewal.
Through thoughtful restoration and adaptive reuse, the station will become a vibrant, functional civic space—connecting people, cultures, and places.
It will continue to serve as Baghdad’s primary gateway, while expanding to accommodate new modes of transport, such as a future metro system and supporting the city’s evolving mobility needs.
THE CHALLENGE
The Baghdad Central Railway Station, once a proud symbol of national progress, now stands in a state of decline. Its architectural and historic significance is under threat, and it no longer serves the city or its people as it once did.
Despite its central location and cultural importance, the station has become disconnected from Baghdad’s urban life, surrounded by congestion, informal activity, and inadequate infrastructure. Its public spaces are underused, its transport functions limited, and its civic role diminished.
Positioned near the Allawi Bus Terminal and the site of a future metro line, the station sits at the heart of a fragmented mobility network. Baghdad faces growing pressure to provide sustainable and inclusive transport infrastructure, and the station presents a rare opportunity to address this challenge through thoughtful design and strategic reintegration.
Registration
Early Registration: $75 from April to 30/May
Standard Registration: $90 from 01/June to 31/Aug.
Last Chance Registration: $100 from 01-30/Sep
Student Registration
Teams led by students are eligible for a 50% discount on the registration fee.
To qualify, the student must be the actual team leader, and a valid student ID must be submitted during registration as proof of eligibility. The team name should correspond to the student’s university.
Eligibility
We welcome participation from architects, designers, planners, engineers, and students from around the world. Individuals or teams (up to 8 members) are eligible to enter, and multidisciplinary collaboration is strongly encouraged.
Prizes:
1st Prize
$6000 six Thousand US Dollars OR Six MONTHS EMPLOYMENT AT DEWAN ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS (10000 AED = $2750/Month)* + Invitation to attend the Award Ceremony (Flights and Hotel)**
2nd Prize
$3000 Three Thousand US Dollars + Invitation to attend the Award Ceremony (Flights and Hotel)**
3rd Prize
$1000 One Thousand US Dollars + Invitation to attend the Award Ceremony (Flights and Hotel)**
Honourable Mentions
Certificates + Invitation to attend the Award Ceremony *** +Â Published in the Annual book
Top 20 Entries
Certificate + Published work in publications, our website, social media pages, and exhibitions.
