OPEN CALL | LFA AWARD 2026–27 — A Contemporary Look at Architecture through Photography
© Luis Ferreira Alves | Arquivo Casa da Arquitectura
A Contemporary Look at Architecture through Photography
Created in tribute to the Portuguese architectural photographer Luis Ferreira Alves (1938–2022), the biennial competition invites photographers from around the world to submit a coherent series of 9 to 11 photographs, accompanied by a short project statement, capable of proposing a distinctive contemporary reading of a work or group of architectural works.
At the centre of the competition is the understanding that architectural photography can move beyond the isolated or descriptive image. Through sequence, visual relationships and an authorial point of view, a photographic series can reveal spatial, material, social, cultural and experiential dimensions of architecture that may otherwise remain unnoticed.
A shared field between the LFA AWARD and Sophia JournalThis approach has clear affinities with the work developed by Sophia Journal through its calls, visual essays, publications and international conferences, where photography and film are understood as critical, analytical and interpretative practices rather than simply illustrative media.
The relationship between the two initiatives has already developed through several moments of exchange.
During the 10th Sophia Journal International Conference at ETSAB–UPC in Barcelona, the winning photographic series and publication resulting from the first edition of the LFA AWARD were presented within a programme dedicated to Landscapes of Repair and to the role of photography and film in documenting, interpreting and reimagining architecture and public space.
More recently, the 2nd edition of the LFA AWARD was presented on 26 September 2026 as part of the parallel programme of the 11th Sophia Journal International Conference in Porto. The presentation was followed by LFA Talks — Publishing an Award, Extending a Legacy, a conversation bringing together Hugh Campbell, Cristina Gastón, Judit Taberna Torres and Gabriel Hernández, moderated by Jorge Sobrado.
These encounters reflect an understanding of the LFA AWARD not simply as a photography competition, but as a developing cultural, editorial and research platform. Through the competition, exhibitions, publications, talks and related initiatives, the project seeks to produce an evolving archive of contemporary approaches to architecture through photography and to encourage critical discussion around the ways in which architecture is experienced, represented and communicated.
LFA AWARD — 2nd Edition | 2026–27The competition is international and open to photographers of all nationalities and levels of professional experience. Participation is free.
Each application should include:
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a photographic series of 9 to 11 images;
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a project statement of up to 2,000 characters;
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a coherent visual narrative presenting an original perspective on a work or group of architectural works.
1st Prize — €10,000
2nd Prize — €4,000
3rd Prize — Photography equipment voucher worth €1,500
Portuguese Emerging Photography Award — Photography equipment voucher worth €1,500
The selected works will contribute to the wider programme of the LFA AWARD, which includes exhibition, publication and international dissemination.
Key DatesSubmission deadline: 1 January 2027, 23:59 — mainland Portugal time
Selection and announcement of finalists: March 2027
Announcement of results: 25 April 2027
Exhibition and Prize-Giving Ceremony: July 2027
Open Call, Regulations and SubmissionLFA AWARD 2026–27 — Official Open Call on Picter
Sophia Journal invites its international community of photographers, architects, artists, researchers and visual practitioners to discover the competition, share the Open Call through their networks and consider how contemporary photography can continue to expand the ways in which architecture is observed, experienced and critically understood.