Ideal Theater 2009 CompetitionIdeal: Theater 2009 Sponsors: Serapid, Boldt Construction and HGA Architects and Engineers Type: Open, international, ideas, two-stage Eligibility: Open to any registered architecture and theater student (team) enrolled at an accredited college or university. Awards: Each of three finalists will receive: • Cash award of $1,000 • Team travel assistance of $500 to USITT Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio • Cost of Conference registration for two team members covered • Additional cash prize of $500 for winner Timetable: 17 November 2008 – Submit intention to compete by email – End Question and Answer period 15 January 2009 – Submission deadline 19-21 March 2009 – Final presentation and exhibition at USITT Conference Jury: • Architect: John Prokos, FAIA Gund Partnership, Cambridge, MA • Acoustician: Mark Holden, JaffeHolden Norwalk, CT • Theatre Consultant: Benton Delinger, Theatre Projects Theatre Consultants, South Norwalk, CT Design Challenge: The Architectural and Theatre Students “Ideal Theatre” Design Competition requires teamwork. The competition poses the design question, “What is the Ideal Theatre for teaching professional theatre”? This question is to be explored and answered by a “Team” composed of at least one theatre student currently enrolled in a college or university theatre program and one architectural student enrolled in an accredited architectural college or university program.Teams can be part of a class or be independent students. Each team member has a defined responsibility. The theatre students will act as the “Client” and the architectural students as the “Designer”. The “Client” is responsible to teach the “Designer” about the workings and artistry of Theatre! The “Client” will define the detail needs of the theater complex and provide at least one critique of the design produced by the “Designer.” It is desired that the “Client” will remain an active member of the design process. The design solution MUST be the result of a “Conversation” between the “Client” and “Designer”. History proves the most successful theatre design solutions take into account all aspects and needs of theatre production, artist presentation and audience interaction. The Problem Statement Your College has been given a gift of $25 million to construct a new Center for the Performing Arts. The new Center must reflect your department’s educational goals and the technological needs for your area of theatre specialty. The audience chamber can be between 400 to 600 seats. The intimacy of the live performance must be expressed and the layout is to be defined by your University’s performance specialty. Additional front and back of house must be defined by the “Client” to meet the department needs. The Center will be a free standing building on your college campus. The Art Center Spaces The program detail, areas, stage type and audience arrangement must be developed by the “Client” to reflect their department needs. The “Client” is to provide a written statement describing their University’s Theatre Department’s educational goals and needs of the teaching program. This can be made up or patterned after a real program. For information, go to: Website: www.usitt.org (ref: student architecture awards) Email: sgeorgeson@hga.com Submissions should be sent to: USITT Competition: Scott F. Georgeson, AIA, HGA Architects, 333 East Erie Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202 414.278.8200 |
Houston Endowment’s New Headquarters on the Bayou  Southwest view Houston Endowment Headquarters – Photo Ivan Baan, courtesy Kevin Daly Following in the footsteps of other major non-profits—The Ford Foundation and LA’s California Endowment Center in particular—the Houston Endowment’s new headquarters, located on a grassy knoll just above the Buffalo Bayou in the city’s outskirts, has also made a strong architectural statement. Similar to the California Endowment, this project was also the result of a design competition, won by the California firm, Kevin Daly Architects. Read more… Young Architects in Competitions When Competitions and a New Generation of Ideas Elevate Architectural Quality  by Jean-Pierre Chupin and G. Stanley Collyer published by Potential Architecture Books, Montreal, Canada 2020 271 illustrations in color and black & white Available in PDF and eBook formats ISBN 9781988962047 What do the Vietnam Memorial, the St. Louis Arch, and the Sydney Opera House have in common? These world renowned landmarks were all designed by architects under the age of 40, and in each case they were selected through open competitions. At their best, design competitions can provide a singular opportunity for young and unknown architects to make their mark on the built environment and launch productive, fruitful careers. But what happens when design competitions are engineered to favor the established and experienced practitioners from the very outset? This comprehensive new book written by Jean-Pierre Chupin (Canadian Competitions Catalogue) and Stanley Collyer (COMPETITIONS) highlights for the crucial role competitions have played in fostering the careers of young architects, and makes an argument against the trend of invited competitions and RFQs. The authors take an in-depth look at past competitions won by young architects and planners, and survey the state of competitions through the world on a region by region basis. The end result is a compelling argument for an inclusive approach to conducting international design competitions. Download Young Architects in Competitions for free at the following link: https://crc.umontreal.ca/en/publications-libre-acces/
The Makasiiniranta South Harbor Competition
Helsinki South Harbour and Tori Quarter Suomen Ilmakuva Helsinki. Image credit/ Tietoa Finland, Janne Hirvonen
As a prelude to a competition for the design of a new Architecture and Design Museum to be located in Helsinki’s South Harbor, the City of Finland staged an open competition to establish a roadmap for the future redevelopment of the Makasiiniranta harbor area, the last old harbor area to be transformed for public use in Helsinki. The competition for the museum is scheduled to take place later this year; but the entire surrounding area has come up with a plan to review improvements for the entire harbor environment.
Read more… Vltava Philharmonic Hall Design Competition  View to Concert Hall from bridge ©BIG Classical music is still part of a vibrant musical scene in Prague, with at least four principal venues hosting concerts, ballet and opera. As a modern European city, the only missing venue from these choices is a state of the art concert hall. Other European neighbors have also recently staged competitions for such projects: Munich, won by Cukrowicz Nachbaur Architekten of Bregenz, Austria; Belgrade, won by AL_A of London; and Vilnius, Lithuania, won by Arquivio Architects of Spain. It should be noted, however, that one of the most important competitions for a concert hall, not only in Europe, but the world, was the 1961 Berlin Philharmonic hall competition, won by Hans Scharoun (below). It was the interior of that building, in particular, that served as a model for many others that followed, one of the first being Los Angeles’ Disney Hall by Frank Gehry. Read more… Budapest’s Nyugati Rail Station Competition  Image courtesy Budapest Development Agency ©Grimshaw Completed in 1877, Budapest’s Nyugati Railway Station has witnessed many of the twists and turns of Hungarian history: the Austro-Hungarian Empire, revolutions of post-World War I and 1956, and various shades of expansion and shrinkage in their territory. Its important location in Europe’s history as a contested land in southeastern Europe has not only served as a path for armies of conquest, but as a matter of great interest for major powers. Amid all the changes it has experienced, Hungary, and Budapest in particular, has retained a fascination for outsiders, making it one of Europe’s high profile tourist attractions. Read more… A Quest for that Elusive Connective Formula  First Place: Pedestrian perspective from Parliament – Zeidler Architecture in association with David Chipperfield Architects How do you find a common thread that can connect an eclectic collection of buildings, visually as well as physically, all located within a one-block site, located just across from Canada’s Parliament building in Ottawa. To identify this common thread that could tie everything together, the client turned to a design competition for answers. With the aid of consultants, [phase eins] from Berlin and experts from Canada’s’ own Université de Montréal’s School of Architecture, the client turned to an invited international format to finally settle on six teams that could rethink the site. Read more… |