Architectural design competition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An architectural design competition is a special type of competition in which an organization or government body that plans to build a new building asks for architects to submit a proposed design for a building. The winning design is usually chosen by an independent panel of design professionals and stakeholders (such as government and local representatives). This procedure is often used to generate new ideas for the building design, to stimulate public debate, to generate publicity for the project and allow emerging designers the opportunity of gaining exposure. Architecture competitions are often used for public buildings in Denmark, Switzerland and Germany, while in France design competitions are compulsory for all public buildings exceeding a certain cost.[1]
Attaining the first prize in a competition is not a guarantee that the project will be completed. This is due to any number of local issues that can develop at the proposed construction site. The owner of the site must also be able to obtain financing for construction and often has the right to veto the winning design. The original 2002 World Trade Center Master Design Contest in New York City is a prime example of a highly publicized competition where only the basic elements of the winning design by Daniel Libeskind will appear in the finished project.
[edit] History
Architecture competitions have a more than 2,500 years old history. The Acropolis in Athens was a result of an architectural competition as well as several cathedrals in the Middle Ages. In 1419 a competition was held to design the dome of the Florence Cathedral, which was won by Filippo Brunelleschi. Open competitions were held in the late 18th century in several countries including the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, France and Sweden.[2]
Example: Competition for the design of the Peace Palace in The Hague, 1905
 Competition entry by Otto Wagner. |
 Entry by Franz Heinrich Schwechten. |
 Entry by Hendrik Petrus Berlage. |
 Building by competition winner Louis M. Cordonnier. |
[edit] Competition types
There are a variety of competition types resulting from the combination of following options:[3]
- Open competitions (international, national or regional) or Limited / Selected competitions, depending on who is allowed to participate;
- Project competitions or Ideas competitions, depending on wheter the aim is to build the project or to generate new ideas only;
- One stage or Two stage competitions, depending on the scale and complexity of the competition;
- Student design competitions.
[edit] Rules and guidelines
The rules of each competition are defined by the organiser, however these often follow the guidelines provided by the International Union of Architects[4], respectively the relevant national or regional architecture organisation. Competition guidelines define roles, responsibilities, processes, and procedures within a competition[5] and provide guidance on possible competition types, eligibility criterias, jury composition, participation conditions, payments, prizes, publication of results and other aspects.[6][7]
[edit] Major international architectural design competitions
Most significant among architectural competitions are the ones which are internationally open, attract a large number of design submissions, and the winning design is built.
[edit] References
- ^ Jacques Cabanieu: Competitions and Architectural Excellence, in Places 9:2, MIT, 1994, retrieved 2009-09-25
- ^ 130 Years of Finnish architectural competitions, retrieved 2009-09-23
- ^ Australian Institute of Architects: Competition Guidelines, retrieved 2009-09-06
- ^ UIA competition guide, retrieved 2009-10-10
- ^ Canadian competition rules, retrieved 2009-10-10
- ^ Finish competition rules, retrieved 2009-10-10
- ^ Indian competition guidelines, retrieved 2009-10-10
[edit] External links
- Architectural Competition - Nordic Symposium, accessed 2009-09-24
- CABE: Making Competitions Work, accessed 2009-09-25
- Canadian Competitions Catalogue, accessed 2009-09-23
- Wettbewerbe Aktuell, a german journal specialized in architectural competitions
