New Central Urban Waterfront Space and Main Library (MEDIASPACE)New Central Urban Waterfront Space and Main Library (MEDIASPACE) Open, international, RfP Aarhus, Denmark The contest including negotiated procedure is expected to run from March 2008 to November 2008 SPONSORS: The Municipality of Aarhus TYPE: Open, international, RfP LOCATION: Aarhus, Denmark LANGUAGE: English, Danish TIMETABLE: The contest including negotiated procedure is expected to run from March 2008 to November 2008, the planning stage running from January 2009 to June 2012, and the construction stage from March 2011 and until the opening of MEDIASPACE in December 2014. ELIGIBILITY: Architects, engineers, planners worldwide JURY: Not Announced AWARDS: 5 to 6 participants will be shortlisted. The construction costs of sections 1 + 2 are estimated at approx. EUR 180 million excl. VAT, but including various design costs, while the costs of section 3 are estimated at approx. EUR 20 million excl. VAT, but including various design costs. FEE: None THE COMPETITION: The Municipality of Aarhus launches an international architectural design contest for an integrated design solution for a new urban waterfront space and MEDIASPACE – the new main library of Aarhus, Citizens’ Services and more – a new icon communicating Aarhus as a city of knowledge. It is essential for the Municipality of Aarhus that the designer in all phases of the design process focuses on involvement processes, e.g. involvement of Aarhus City Council, client, citizens, users, employees, building authorities, business community and future tenants. The total overall project comprises three separate design sections: 1. Building design of an 18,000 sqm. MEDIASPACE – Aarhus’ new main library, citizens’ services etc. including 10,000 sqm. of optional area on a future harbour bastion. New urban spaces should be designed on the bastion around MEDIASPACE, while car parking, local trains, arrivals centre etc. should be established in the bastion or in connection hereto. 2. Uncovering of the last part of Aarhus River and modification of the Europaplads (existing town square) as an integrated solution with design of the bastion and MEDIASPACE. 3. Design of an approx. 500 m new urban waterfront that opens the city towards the sea and creates a new urban area for public activity and recreation. The design contest comprises all three project sections (sections 1 + 2, and section 3), however the jury reserves the right to award separate winners of sections 1 + 2 and section 3. The winner(s) will subsequently be invited to participate in a negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice on the conditions stated in Article 31, para 3 of the Directive. If separate winners are awarded for sections 1+2 and section 3, a separate negotiated procedure will be carried out for sections 1+2 as well as for section 3. The entire project is subject to the Aarhus City Council approving the commencement of the contest, the contest result, and the costs of the project. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.multimediehuset.dk |
1st Place: Zaha Hadid Architects – night view from river – Render by Negativ
Arriving to board a ferry boat or cruise ship used to be a rather mundane experience. If you had luggage, you might be able to drop it off upon boarding, assuming that the boarding operation was sophisticated enough. In any case, the arrival experience was nothing to look forward to. I recall boarding the SS United States for a trip to Europe in the late 1950s. Arriving at the pier in New York, the only thought any traveler had was to board that ocean liner as soon as possible, find one’s cabin, and start exploring. If you were in New York City and arriving early, a nearby restaurant or cafe would be your best bet while passing time before boarding. Read more… Preparation and Organization of Design Competitions 
[phase 1] Benjamin Hossbach / Christian Lehmhaus / Christine Eichelmann
210 × 230 mm, 192 pp.
over 600 images
softcover
ISBN 978-3-86922-316-2 (English)
ISBN 978-3-86922-240-0 (German)
Dom Publishers
€48 in EU (For price abroad, see below)
Founded in 1998 in Berlin, Phase 1 has been a principal player in the organization and facilitation of design competitions, not only in Germany, but abroad as well. The accomplishments of the firm have been well documented in three volumes—The Architecture of Competitions—beginning in 2i006. Whereas these books mainly focused on the results of the competitions they have administered, the present work, Fundamentals of Competition Management, takes one from the very beginnings of the competition process to its conclusion. The authors envisioned the publication as “three three books in one: one „blue book“ with example projects, one „yellow book“ with statements and the „white book“ with the actual guideline to competition management.”
Although there have been a number of handbooks covering the administration of designcompetitions a study covering the entire process in such detail is a welcome addition to the the literature in this field. As a contribution to this important democratic process that has yielded exceptional design for decades, this volume is not only valid for Europe, but a current overview of the process for those globally who wish to raise the level of design by virtue of a design competition. -Ed Foreign institutions wishing to obtain a copy of the book will recieve a discount to cover the cost of foreign shipping.
To obtain a copy for that offer, go to: accounting@phase1.de 
Helsinki Central Library, by ALA Architects (2012-2018)
The world has experienced a limited number of open competitions over the past three decades, but even with diminishing numbers, some stand out among projects in their categories that can’t be ignored for the high quality and degree of creativity they revealed. Included among those are several invited competitions that were extraordinary in their efforts to explore new avenues of institutional and museum design. Some might ask why the Vietnam Memorial is not mentioned here. Only included in our list are competitions that were covered by us, beginning in 1990 with COMPETITIONS magazine to the present day. As for what category a project under construction (Science Island), might belong to or fundraising still in progress (San Jose’s Urban Confluence or the Cold War Memorial competition, Wisconsin), we would classify the former as “built” and wait and see what happens with the latter—keeping our fingers crossed for a positive outcome. Read More… 
2023 Teaching and Innovation Farm Lab Graduate Student Honor Award by USC (aerial view)
Architecture at Zero competitions, which focus on the theme, Design Competition for Decarbonization, Equity and Resilience in California, have been supported by numerous California utilities such as Southern California Edison, PG&E, SoCAl Gas, etc., who have recognized the need for better climate solutions in that state as well as globally. Until recently, most of these competitions were based on an ideas only format, with few expectations that any of the winning designs would actually be realized. The anticipated realization of the 2022 and 2023 competitions suggests that some clients are taking these ideas seriously enough to go ahead with realization. Read more… 
RUR model perspective – ©RUR
New Kaohsiung Port and Cruise Terminal, Taiwan (2011-2020)
Reiser+Umemoto RUR Architecture PC/ Jesse Reiser – U.S.A.
with
Fei & Cheng Associates/Philip T.C. Fei – R.O.C. (Tendener)
This was probably the last international open competition result that was built in Taiwan. A later competition for the Keelung Harbor Service Building Competition, won by Neil Denari of the U.S., the result of a shortlisting procedure, was not built. The fact that the project by RUR was eventually completed—the result of the RUR/Fei & Cheng’s winning entry there—certainly goes back to the collaborative role of those to firms in winning the 2008 Taipei Pop Music Center competition, a collaboration that should not be underestimated in setting the stage for this competition Read more… 
Winning entry ©Herzog de Meuron
In visiting any museum, one might wonder what important works of art are out of view in storage, possibly not considered high profile enough to see the light of day? In Korea, an answer to this question is in the making. It can come as no surprise that museums are running out of storage space. This is not just the case with long established “western” museums, but elsewhere throughout the world as well. In Seoul, South Korea, such an issue has been addressed by planning for a new kind of storage facility, the Seouipul Open Storage Museum. The new institution will house artworks and artifacts of three major museums in Seoul: the Seoul Museum of Modern Art, the Seoul Museum of History, and the Seoul Museum of Craft Art.
Read more… |
