2nd "Visional City Design Competition" to be Held

TRIAD Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director: Masayuki Kuramochi) is pleased to announce the holding of the 2nd "Visional City Design Competition" (read: Visional City Design Competition), a design competition that proposes future urban visions starting from architecture and cities.

Following last year, Sou Fujimoto, Makoto Tanijiri, Seiichi Saito, and Wataru Muto will return, joined by new judges Hitoshi Tanaka, Aya Sengoku, Natsuko Shiraki, and Eri Tsugawa, forming an eight-member judging panel. We are broadly seeking proposals that open up the future of cities, incorporating diverse perspectives beyond the scope of architecture and urban planning, such as art, technology, business, and institutional design. Especially this year, we actively encourage applications for business-oriented plans that not only offer spatial proposals but also consider business viability and social implementation.

Official Website: https://triad.company/vcdc

What is "Visional City Design Competition" (VCDC)?
This competition aims to re-evaluate the challenges and contradictions hidden in cities from the concept of "dystopia" and to envision new future possibilities from diverse perspectives such as architecture, urban planning, systems, and business.
In the 1st competition held in 2025, with the theme "Shadows of the City," we received many challenging proposals from students, young architects, and creators, with over 1,100 entries.

1st Visional City Design Competition: https://triad.company/vcdc/2025


About the 2nd Competition
Through the various proposals submitted in the 1st competition, we re-recognized the significance of not merely treating the "shadows" of the city as problems, but rather re-examining the underlying structures and envisioning new exits. With this in mind, the 2nd competition this year will continue to be held under the theme "Exit of DYSTOPIA #2."

This time, we are expanding the target application area to Tokyo's 23 wards and broadly seeking proposals that not only conceptualize but also connect to social implementation. We look forward to encountering proposals that confront the "shadows" of the city head-on amidst the gap between ideals and reality, and outline a new future.

2026 Theme
Exit of DYSTOPIA #2


Judges (titles omitted)
Sou Fujimoto (Architect / Representative Director, Sou Fujimoto Architects)
Aya Sengoku (President & CEO, Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Co., Ltd.)
Hitoshi Tanaka (Representative Director, Chairman & CEO, JINS Holdings Inc. / Representative Director, Hitoshi Tanaka Foundation)
Natsuko Shiraki (President & CEO, HASUNA Co., Ltd. / Professor, Musashino University Faculty of Entrepreneurship)
Makoto Tanijiri (Architect & Entrepreneur / Representative Director, SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE Co.,Ltd.)
Eri Tsugawa (Architect / Representative Director, ALTEMY Inc.)
Seiichi Saito (Director, Panoramatiks / Representative Director, Abstract Engine Inc.)
Wataru Muto (Representative Director & CEO, LAETOLI Inc.)

Prizes

Grand Prize (1 work): 3,000,000 yen

Excellence Award (2 works): 1,000,000 yen each

Special Award (up to 3 works): 500,000 yen each

Schedule

Entry Acceptance: April 1 (Wed) - July 31 (Fri), 2026

Submission Deadline: Until August 31 (Mon), 2026

First Round Judging: Early October 2026

First Round Results Announcement: Late October 2026

Second Round Judging & Awards Ceremony: Late November 2026 *Presentation scheduled

Overview

In this competition, applicants are asked to identify their own perceived "urban shadows (challenges)" from the target areas below, select a real site within Tokyo's 23 wards, and propose concrete plans for their solutions. We seek feasible proposals that go beyond mere conceptual presentation, taking into account site conditions, legal frameworks, business viability, and implementation processes. We expect creative solutions that shed light on the "shadows" of the city, create new value, and are geared towards implementation.

Target Area: Real sites within Tokyo's 23 wards

Examples of Challenges: Unused land, vacant houses, aging buildings, spaces left behind by development, etc.

Examples of Solutions: Architecture, design, business models, law, business plans, urban planning, community formation, technology, financial planning, technical/service proposals, etc.

*The target area can be a single ward within the 23 wards, multiple wards, or the entire 23 wards.

*Please refrain from making inquiries to relevant authorities such as the competent administrative agency regarding this competition.

*If conducting on-site verification of the target site, please refrain from entering areas not normally open to the public within or around the site. Also, please be considerate not to cause inconvenience to users of the site and surrounding buildings.

Application Requirements

Age: No restrictions

Nationality: No restrictions

Affiliation: No restrictions on affiliation

Qualifications: No restrictions on qualifications

*Individuals or groups may submit any number of proposals.

Application Flow

After entering the required information into the entry form and submitting it, an "Inquiry No." will be displayed on the completion screen. This will be used as your ID. Please check the application guidelines and prepare your submission. An automatic reply email will send you the submission form, so please enter the required information, attach your submission, and send it.

STEP1: Entry Acceptance

・Period: April 1 (Wed) - July 31 (Fri), 2026

・Entry Form: https://triad.tayori.com/f/vcdc-entry2026

STEP2: Submission of Works

・Deadline: Until August 31 (Mon)

・Please enter the required information into the application form, attach your submission, and send it.

After submission, a completion email will be sent to your registered email address.

Application Guidelines: https://triad.company/topics/nPHicwBI


Submission Materials

・Format: A1 (594mm × 841mm *portrait or landscape) 1 sheet
・Type: PDF data (within 5MB)

・Content: Entry ID to be written on the bottom left (20mm margin)

・File Size: 5MB or less

Notes

・The PDF file name should be "EntryID.pdf" (ex: 33.pdf).
・Text should be easily readable (10pt or larger).
・Submissions such as models, videos, or those outside the specified size will be deemed not to meet the judging criteria and will not be judged.

About Application
・Submitted works must be unpublished.
・Submitted works will not be returned.
・Duplicate submissions of the same work to other design competitions will result in disqualification.
・The copyright of works submitted to this competition belongs to the applicant, but the organizer retains the right to announce the winning works.
・If it becomes clear that a winning work infringes on the copyright of a third party, or if a serious violation of these application guidelines is found, the award may be revoked even after the announcement.

About Judging

・Winners will be contacted directly by the organizer.

・If you pass the first round of judging, you will be asked to prepare materials for the second round based on your first-round submission and give a presentation.

・Please note that even if you pass the first round, you will be disqualified if you cannot attend the second round of judging.

・We cannot answer any questions regarding the judging status or results until the announcement date.

Organizer: TRIAD Inc.
Sponsors: COZUCHI, COMMOSUS
Official Website: https://triad.company/vcdc

Announcement of the 2nd "Visional City Design Competition" Commemorative Event
On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, an event will be held to commemorate the implementation of the 2nd "Visional City Design Competition." In addition to Seiichi Saito, who directs this project, architect Eri Tsugawa, who newly joined as a judge, and Wataru Muto, who continues from last year with a real estate and finance perspective, will participate in a talk session.

Those interested in urban design or considering participating in this competition are encouraged to attend.

Date: May 13 (Wed), 2026
　　　18:00 Reception / 18:30 Start - 20:00 End
Venue: TRIAD Minami Aoyama Office

How to Participate: Apply via Peatix
Application Form: https://vcdc2026.peatix.com/
Capacity: 50 people (first-come, first-served)

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TRIAD Inc.
Representative Director: Masayuki Kuramochi

Capital: 100 million yen

Location: 2-26-1 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Business Activities: Real estate investment business / Real estate management business / Real estate development and renovation business / Specified real estate joint enterprise

URL: https://triad.company/