A training and research program dedicated to fostering dialogue between science, architecture, and local territories has been launched in Sardinia as part of Italy’s coordination and promotion efforts to host the Einstein Telescope. This is the focus of “ET Contest – Beyond Underground”, an initiative promoted by the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Cagliari, in collaboration with the Sardinia Region, the Fondazione di Sardegna, INFN, IGEA, and the Municipality of Lula.
The goal is to gather new architectural and landscape design ideas and solutions to enhance the area surrounding the disused Sos Enattos mine in the Nuoro region, the site proposed to host the future gravitational wave research infrastructure.
Specifically, the project invites young researchers and professionals in architecture, urban, and landscape design to take part in a competition by presenting concepts for new surface architectures supporting the Einstein Telescope, such as research centers, guesthouses, public spaces, and outreach facilities. Proposals should pay special attention to landscape integration, environmental sustainability, and the historical and social context of the territory, including possible interventions on existing buildings and in nearby urban areas.
Participation is open to individuals or groups. The only requirement concerns age: individual participants or, in the case of group entries, the group leader must be under 41 years old at the time of submission.
The project — part of the long-running ILS – Innovative Learning Spaces program — will officially begin on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 October with an “itinerant” introductory workshop in Sardinia, bringing together over 100 students and researchers from Italy and abroad. After several stops at key cultural sites on the island, such as the Santa Cristina Archaeological Park and the Nivola Museum, participants will visit Sos Enattos on 17 October for a first direct encounter with the candidate site.
The program will continue with a second in-depth workshop, scheduled from 27 to 29 November between Lula and Cagliari, with the participation of important international guests. Contest registration will remain open until 15 December, while the deadline for project submissions is 31 January 2026.
The top three projects will receive cash prizes funded by the Fondazione di Sardegna and awarded by the Cul.Tur.Ale ETS association. All noteworthy proposals will also be presented in a final exhibition and included in publications supporting the Italian candidacy to host the Einstein Telescope.
«The main goal of this initiative is to explore the relationship between the underground infrastructure and the surface architectures, developing ideas to integrate the telescope within its territorial and landscape context», explains Massimo Faiferri, Professor of Architectural Design at the University of Cagliari and scientific coordinator of the project. «Participants are invited to envision a broad transformation scenario consistent with the identity and environmental characteristics of the Sos Enattos site and its surroundings, one that embraces the scales of territory, landscape, and architecture».
All information about the competition is available on the official website: https://www.etcontest.it/.