International Architectural Competition for the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center in Gabrovo, Bulgaria - Bustler: Architecture

Though fleeting, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s projects left iconic afterimages in dozens of natural and urban landscapes, creating, as they themselves put it, “gentle disturbances.” Their art was a celebration of freedom, beauty, and courage. Christo and Jeanne-Claude not only dreamed of things considered impossible, but they also made them a reality. They negotiated with parliaments, municipalities, and private landowners. They enlisted architects, engineers, environmentalists, filmmakers, photographers, collectors, and hundreds of volunteers as their collaborators. Their projects cost millions, yet remained free and accessible to millions of visitors. Simultaneously monumental and intimate, they were infinitely different from other art created up to that point. 

The center named after them, in Christo’s hometown, is a place not only for presenting art but also for creating it – a place where the spirit of Christo and Jeanne-Claude inspires both artists and the wider public. The architecture of this space requires a bold vision, sensitivity, and deep understanding.

To find the best architectural solution for the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center for Contemporary Art, the Municipality of Gabrovo is inviting architects to participate in a two-stage competition for adaptive reuse of a former textile technical school building.

The first phase is an open, anonymous competition to develop a conceptual design. The top five finalists will each receive a cash prize of EUR 20,000, excluding VAT. The application deadline is 20 July 2026.

The second phase requires design development and will be conducted through a negotiated procedure without prior publication with the five finalists from the preceding phase. The timeframe for developing the designs is two months. The winner will enter into a design contract worth up to EUR 1,000,000, excluding VAT.

The building of the former Textile Technical School in Gabrovo is located on the left bank of Yantra River. It was chosen to house the new Center for contemporary art both because of its spacious workshops with high ceilings, which can be transformed into excellent exhibition halls and production spaces, and because of the connection between the main subject of the school – textiles – and the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The built-up area is 2737 m², the total gross floor area is 13,300 m² and the courtyard is 9000 m²

The brief for this competition was formulated following an extensive process of discussions and focus groups with artists and curators, cultural and educational institutions, and businesses. 

The architectural design of the building is expected to place its users at the center. The architectural design must:

1. create a welcoming environment for diverse experiences, behaviours, and modes of presence within the building and courtyard, corresponding to the planned activities and programs: permanent and temporary exhibitions, educational programs, artists’ studios, workshops for various materials and media, studios for artist residencies, Institute for Art in Public Space, book library, textile material library, coworking space, restaurant and café, gift shop, and courtyard.

1. embody the spirit of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s art

1. preserve the memory of the school building

1. connect the building functionally and visually to the river and the adjacent public spaces

1. create a smart and green building.

The competition’s jury members and Vladimir Yavachev, Director of Projects of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation give a better perspective to the scope of the art center and the design task:

“Christo and Jeanne-Claude were constantly giving lectures to young artists and students. In Abu Dhabi, where I hope the Mastaba will be one day, they established – in collaboration with NYU Abu Dhabi and ADMAF – a public art award for young artists in their name. They often said that the work of an artist requires much hard work and total dedication. The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center in Gabrovo is a place where art will be created, where young artists will work, live, and debate. That is the recipe for it to evolve naturally into a living organism. I am convinced that this will happen, and it is wonderful that it will bear the names of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.” — Vladimir Yavachev, Christo’s nephew and Director of Projects of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation

“Making a Center named after Christo and Jeanne-Claude seems like an oxymoron, since their work seems to defy the very notion of a center. Their work was always eccentric, consisting of projects created for different places all over the world and always for a limited time-span. But it is precisely because of the fleeting nature of their work that such a center is so necessary today, in order to make sure that its ingenious spirit can continue to impregnate the minds of artists, architects, and the general public. Tasked to reuse the former Textile School of Christo’s native city of Gabrovo for the needs of the new Center, the participating architecture firms will be facing a similar artistic challenge as the celebrated artists did in their many projects: to transform a specific extant condition into something universal, remarkable, surprising, and

memorable, with the only difference being that in the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center in Gabrovo, the work and ideas of Christo and Jeanne-Claude will finally get a permanent residency. I am looking forward to seeing the creative spark of Christo and Jeanne-Claude fire up the imagination of contemporary architects once again and create a vital place of cultural memory and creativity.” — Andreas Ruby, jury member

 “Having met Christo and Jeanne-Claude on numerous occasions since 2000, I came to recognize their deep appreciation for their community of friends, collaborators, and artists. The teams they worked with embodied the extended family of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. A substantial part of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work lay in the process of materializing their art installations with all the approvals, engineering, trials, logistics, etc. These efforts were made possible only through a tightly knit and deeply committed team. Observing this family of people around Christo working together made clear to me that fostering and supporting communities of artists and creative people was an essential and valued aspect of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work. 

To honor this legacy through a contemporary art center in Gabrovo will be a particularly meaningful and fitting tribute.” — Erich Schoenenberger, jury member

Envisioned as a dynamic home for artists, thinkers, and the public, the future Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center for Contemporary Art in Gabrovo will continue the artists’ legacy of courageously reimagining space and experience. The international architectural competition is now open, with all details available at competition.cjcenter.gabrovo.bg

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Art Center website: www.cjcenter.gabrovo.bg 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cjc_center_gabrovo