The government of Ecuador has closed the first phase of its call for architectural design proposals for the new National Museum building. The Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture, along with the National Museum of Ecuador and technical support from the College of Architects of Ecuador (CAE-P), announced that the submission period for credentials and portfolios ended on February 17, 2026.
A total of 27 countries were represented among applicants, including national and international architecture firms as well as mixed teams. This level of participation is seen as an indication of the project’s cultural and architectural significance for Ecuador.
The call was aimed at architects and multidisciplinary teams able to demonstrate experience in projects matching the scale and complexity required for the museum.
The review process now begins to verify compliance with established requirements. A selection committee will oversee this phase. Institutional delegates include architect Carla Arellano Granizo representing the Vice President, Romina Alejandra Muñoz Procel as vice minister of Culture and delegate from the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture, and civil engineer Roberto Luque Nuques, minister of Infrastructure and Transport or his delegate. Technical delegates are architect Diego Ordóñez Holguín, president of CAE-P or his delegate, and international museum design specialist architect Hernán Crespo Bermejo. Dr. Carlos Montalvo Puente, director of the National Museum, serves as a non-voting advisory member.
On March 13, a list will be published naming those selected to advance to the next stage.
In Stage 2, chosen teams will submit their architectural design proposals. One winner will be selected to receive an economic recognition totaling USD 450,000 for delivering a complete preliminary project according to competition rules.
This initiative represents progress toward establishing modern infrastructure aimed at strengthening preservation and promotion efforts around Ecuador’s cultural heritage.
