Earn £1,000 in our Zone29 art competition

Zone29 is your new home of careers and enterprise at Westminster. It’s our overarching brand for the support we provide in this area. As part of that, your new Zone29 building is set to open its doors in spring 2026. A nine-storey building that will connect students, graduates, academics, businesses, charities, local organisations, alumni and the wider community, it’s located next to our Marylebone campus.

Zone29 is designed with purpose-built spaces for collaboration, creativity and authentic learning. It has no lecture theatres or traditional classrooms – instead, it provides flexible areas for group projects, pitches, workshops, exhibitions, hackathons, enterprise activities and industry collaborations.

Zone29 will be the gateway between the University and the outside world: a vibrant hub where ideas, skills, experiences and opportunities are shared and co-created. 

You can find out more about Zone29 here.

Competition details

We are inviting Westminster students to design a suite of 13 artworks for the stairwell landings in Zone29. The artworks should form a visual journey through the building, reflecting the stories, values and ambitions of Zone29, and inspiring all who use the space.  The artworks will be installed as vinyls on the landing of each floor of the staircase.

On most landings, there are two spaces for vinyls, with one large graphic on the main landing and a smaller vinyl on the landing to the back of the building. Think about how to link the design of vinyls throughout the building.

Objective

Your designs should:

• Visually embody Zone29’s role as a catalyst for collaboration between students and alumni; employers, businesses and third sector organisations; local communities and global partners; academics and external collaborators.
• Celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of the Westminster community - one of the most international universities in the world.
• Reflect our commitment to:

1. Career success – empowering students and graduates to thrive in work, enterprise and self-employment.
2. Authentic learning – spaces for businesses to set challenges and projects for our students to work on.
3. Enterprise and innovation – supporting start-ups, creative freelancing, ideation and entrepreneurship.
4. Community impact – strengthening links with local businesses, charities and social enterprises.
5. Global opportunity – connecting students to alumni and partners worldwide.

• Be visually attractive and encourage building users to use the stairs and experience each stage of the creative journey as they move floor to floor.

Suggested narrative framework for the seven floors

Connection

The starting point: people, ideas and opportunities coming together.

Collaboration

Working collectively across disciplines, industries and communities.

Creativity and Innovation

Ideas developing into new solutions, enterprises and ventures.

Community

Celebrating diversity, inclusion and local partnerships.

Enterprise and Opportunity

Developing skills, exploring pathways and launching new initiatives.

Global Outlook

Extending connections across borders through alumni, partners and international opportunities.

Future Impact

Graduates and collaborators making a lasting difference in society, business and the wider world.

Deliverables

• A set of 13 linked designs, consistent in style and concept, suitable for installation as vinyls on the wall of each landing.  The designs should be suitable for installation as large scale wall vinyls: the largest is 2.8m wide by 3.3m high and smallest is 1.8m wide by 2.1m high.  The specific sizes and locations for all vinyls will be confirmed to the chosen student.
• On most landings, there are two spaces for graphics, with one large graphic on the main landing and a smaller graphic on a landing to the back of the building. You could think about how to link the design of both graphics.
• Artwork that tells a cohesive story of collaboration, diversity, enterprise and opportunity.
• Submission as a PDF or PPT with annotations explaining how the work connects to Zone29’s vision.
• Final artwork files in high-resolution digital format suitable for large-scale vinyl printing.

Selection Criteria

The submissions will be evaluated based on:

• Creativity and originality
• Cohesion across all 13 designs
• Relevance to Zone29’s purpose, values and activities
• Representation of inclusivity, diversity and sustainability
• Ability to inspire pride and engagement among building users and partners

Timeline

• Submission deadline: 30 November 2025
• Judging period: 1 December - 7 December 2025
• Winner announced and winner briefed: week of 8 December 2025
• First draft of artwork due: 16 January 2026
• Feedback provided: 23 January 2026
• Final design files due: 9 February 2026
• Artwork installation: 9 March 2026

Prizes

The winning artist’s designs will be installed on the staircases in Zone29, contributing to the identity of the University’s new home of careers and enterprise.

Ownership of the designs remains with the creator. The creator grants the University a non-exclusive license to use the designs for up to 5 years from the date of installation in physical form at Zone29 and in perpetuity in digital form in university publications and communications channels.  

A prize of £1,000 will be awarded to the student on completion of the installation of the winning designs. The University will fund the print costs of the artworks.

Contact and submission process

Students should submit their artwork and annotations as a PDF or PPT by email to [email protected]. Annotations should explain how the artwork connects to the brief.

For any competition-related questions please also email [email protected].

Join us in making Zone29 a vibrant and inspiring space through your creative contributions. We look forward to seeing your innovative designs!