Holy Cross Parish Church Improvement CompetitionSponsor: RIAI (Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland) Type: open, 1-stage Language: English Eligibility: architect members of RIAI Registration fee: 121.50EUR Awards:
1st Prize – 10,000EUR Timetable:
11 September, 2009 – registration deadline
25 September, 2009 – submission deadline Jury:
Fr. Kieran McDermott, Parish Priest, Holy Cross Parish
Paul O’Neill, Chair, Parish Development Committee
Eddie O’Shea, FRIAI, Diocesan Representative
Gay McCarron, MIPI, Development Committee Member
Martin Donnelly, MRIAI, Development Committee Member
Deirdre McCullagh Artist, Development Committee Member
Cathy Prunty, RIAI (ArchTech) Development Committee Member Design Challenge:
Holy Cross Church, a protected structure on Main Street, Dundrum is located in the centre of Dundrum village since the 1800s. The village has seen enormous physical change to the built environment around it in the last number of years. The physical importance of the church, as a significant part of the landscape has reduced in against the new backdrop of commerce generated by Phase One of the Dundrum Centre, the By-pass, large apartment blocks and the by-pass roadway. Phase Two of Dundrum center will have an even greater impact. These changes offer not just challenges but opportunities which the Parish Development wishes to address and to also try and create an attractive, accessible ambience on Main Street so as to establish a presence which will draw people to enter into its calm and spiritual interior. The ideas are to relate to the church itself, the ‘mortuary’ / shop and the sacristy area. The basement accommodation is not included. Areas of particular interest include Access, Lighting, the Choir Balcony, Statuary, Shrines / Candle Display / Notices and Decoration. Submission Requirements:
Competitors are required to submit one A1 size sheet of information in a horizontal format. There is no specified format for submissions but competitors are required to provide the following minimum information:
– Plans, sections and elevations at 1:200
– Sketches to illustrate general proposals
– 1:20 construction details of choir balcony (if considered) Each competitor will submit a report, which will deal with the architectural, lighting, functional, environmental and technical factors relevant to the scheme with an Outline Cost Plan. The report will not exceed two A4 pages, excluding a 1 page outline cost plan. For more information, go to: http://www.riai.ie/?id=7439 |
University of Florida’s College of Design Construction and Planning’s New Addition 
Development phase image courtesy ©Brooks + Scarpa
If architects have had one complaint concerning the planning and realization of a project, it has been with planners and especially construction managers, both of whom often display a lack of knowledge about architecture. The survival of a well-conceived design can hang in the balance when there is a knowledge gap at the planning and realization end.
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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/ 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…
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.
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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… |
