The Fondation Jardin Majorelle Unveils the Winner of Its 2026 Architecture Prize
The Fondation Jardin Majorelle has just revealed the winner of its second edition of the Fondation Jardin Majorelle Prize, and the result is as poetic as the garden itself. On May 15, 2026, beneath the electric blue skies of Marrakech, a new name entered the city’s architectural consciousness: Salsabil El Ouazzani, whose project “Nouala, the moving shelter” was crowned laureate of one of Morocco’s most prestigious and enchanting architecture competitions.
Selected for its thoughtful choice of materials, its seamless integration within the garden, and above all its quiet precision and feasibility, “Nouala, the moving shelter” is more than a structure. It is a dialogue between the contemporary and the timeless, between the built and the living. A shelter that moves, in every sense of the word.
The jury, presided by Madison Cox, president of the Fondation Jardin Majorelle, gathered an exceptional constellation of voices from architecture, heritage, and contemporary creation: architect Hiba Ben Salek, Karl Fournier of the celebrated Studio KO, architect and anthropologist Salima Naji, and Alexis Sornin, director of the Musée Pierre Bergé des arts berbères and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech. Together, they faced what they themselves described as a particularly difficult selection, faced with a field of remarkable quality.
A special mention was also awarded to El Mehdi Belyassmine for his project “Phyllocode”, a testament to the extraordinary level of this edition and the fertile imagination of Morocco’s emerging architectural generation.
This second edition attracted 34 applications from students and young architects representing the country’s most prestigious schools, among them the École Nationale d’Architecture de Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech, the École Euro Med d’Architecture, de Design et d’Urbanisme de Fès, and the School of Architecture, Planning and Design of UM6P in Ben Guérir. The FJMP is fast becoming the definitive platform for a new wave of Moroccan architects who think in materials, memory, and meaning.
The Temporary Pavilion, nestled within the grounds of Villa Oasis, is reimagined every two years by the competition’s laureate. It currently hosts the exhibition “Les oiseaux du Jardin Majorelle” and is freely accessible to all visitors of the Jardin Majorelle, turning each visit into an encounter not only with the garden’s legendary botanical world but with the architecture of the moment.
The Fondation Jardin Majorelle was created to perpetuate the legacy of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Its mission extends beyond conservation, reaching actively into the social, educational, and environmental fabric of Morocco. The competition itself embodies this spirit: it is not merely a prize, but a commitment to nurturing a generation of architects who imagine forms that are sensitive, sustainable, and deeply rooted in their environment.
As for the Jardin Majorelle itself, imagined in 1924 by French orientalist painter Jacques Majorelle and saved from demolition in 1980 by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, it remains one of the world’s most extraordinary living spaces. Two hectares of rare botanical wonders at the heart of Marrakech, famous the world over for its iconic ultramarine blue. A place where history, beauty, and now the architecture of tomorrow continue to intertwine, season after season.
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