Installation Competition Exhibition: “Budget Bougie”

The Installation Competition Exhibition presents the top 30 submissions selected by the curatorial team for the TAB 2026 Installation Competition. 

Luxury is commonly associated with abundance: expensive materials, generous budgets and material excess. Yet architecture has repeatedly shown that spatial richness can also arise from limitation, ingenuity and the intelligent transformation of ordinary materials. Under the title “Budget Bougie”, the competition asked participants to reconsider what luxury might mean in architectural terms. Can limited means produce spaces that feel generous, refined, or even indulgent? Can resourcefulness stand in for expense? 

The competition invited proposals for a temporary pavilion that explore how simple materials, modest budgets and inventive design strategies can generate an elevated spatial experience. The outdoor gallery presents a selection of these proposals, showing how thoughtful design can transform the everyday into something architecturally significant.