Ideas Competition: Offices of the Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea and the San Pablo Block in Cordoba.Sponsors: Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea Type: International ideas, 2-phase Language: Spanish, English Awards: The Jury shall choose the competition winner from among the Phase II finalists. The Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea shall commission the winning architect or team to draw up the basic design and execution project for the headquarters at the time when the Fundación decides to execute the project. Timeline:
27 November 2009 – Submission of questions
11 December 2009 – Answers to questions
1 February 2010 – Submission deadline
26 February 2010 – Jury’s decision Jury: The jury, which will act in both phases of the competition, shall be made up of the following members: – Chairman; the Chairman of the Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea.
– Three architects Trustees of the Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea.
– Three architects of recognized prestige chosen by the Fundación.
– One architect of recognized prestige appointed by the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Cordoba (Official Association of Architects, Cordoba).
– One architect chosen by the entrants.
– The Mayor of Cordoba
– The Director-General of Heritage of the Andalusian Regional Government.
– The Secretary of Culture of the Andalusian Regional Government.
– An expert of recognized prestige in Cultural Management.
– Secretary: the Competition secretary. The secretary shall have voice but no vote.
Design Challenge: The Fundación Arquitectura Contemporánea is holding a Competition for Ideas for the construction of its future head offices on the site located at Calle Capitulares nºs 2 and 4 in the San Pablo block in Cordoba. The new building is envisaged as a public forum for interaction, debate, exhibitions and for the promotion of architecture. It will also constitute a public platform from which the cultural debate pertaining to Contemporary Architecture can be broadened and intensified, through the Fundación’s activities and their projection into public space. This expansive quality of the proposal, which may have different states of use or activities, permanent or ephemeral, as the present and future needs of the Foundation, requires the response to the imperfections of the urban environment of the San Pablo block, where they are located other institutions related to culture, such as the Department of Culture of City Hall, the Chapter House and the Office of Culture of the Andalusian. The definitive conversion of the interior of the Huerta into a public space actively accessible by citizens involves respecting its relationship with the archaeological remains on the site, integrating the Huerta as a key space in the centre of the city and addressing the transit routes accessing the different public cultural institutions located there, especially the Provincial Office of the Culture Department of the Andalusian Regional Government. Submission Requirements:
PHASE I
Graphic documentation:
– A maximum of THREE DIN A1 FORMAT HORIZONTAL PANELS shall be submitted; strong, flat, light and rigid.
– DIN A3 format, which content shall coincide exactly with the information contained in the panels.
– A CD shall be submitted containing an editable PDF files with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi of each of the panels in their original size (A1) and in reduced size (A3) JPG files with a minimum resolution of 150 dpi. For more information, go to: http://www.arquitecturacontemporanea.org/concursoeng/ |
©Bauen+Wohnen
 An article, Trois tourettes et un jardin (Three Turrets and a Garden) by Swiss landscape architect, Valérie Hoffmeyer, in Werk, Bauen + Wohnen, is another recent example highlighting the value of green space in the design of mid-rise residential buildings. At a time when developers endeavor to maximize their profits by turning to highrise buildings, even when higher density is at stake, referencing the Garden City concept has been turning up as a more frequent theme.
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Aerial view ©Grimshaw Architects
After the conclusion of the second stage of the Nyugati Railway Station Competition, Grimshaw Architects has been declared the winner. This conclusion was reached by a jury after twelve teams had been shortlisted from the initial stage of the competition in an RfQ process. 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/ 
Boardwalk photo: Courtesy Atlantic Beach
Boardwalks, especially on oceanfront locations, have a pretty universal look. But how they fit into their local context is another matter. Topography, real estate and commerce all play a role in their function, and to some extent, design. In the case of Miami Beach, it’s primarily a promenade; Brooklyn’s 2.7 mile Coney Island boardwalk stretching all the way to Brighton Beach is a mixture of promenade and commerce, with the latter at both ends. In the case of Atlantic City, it’s mostly about retail.
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Winning entry – Hyunjoon Min Architects Office
National Library of Korea Data Preservation Center Competition
Retrofitting existing buildings is nothing new. The abandonment of old factory structures, especially in the northeast of the U.S., has been occurring at a rapid pace ever since those businesses ceased to be profitable in the face of foreign competition. However, in North America, retrofitting those structures has seldom been the subject of a design competition. In Korea, the recent plethora of design competitions for all types of projects has also included several for providing a new life for abandoned buildings. Read more… Countryside Dilemmas – New Rural Planning 
1st Place – ©Tianjin University Team
Planning used to be at the bottom of Chinese students’ lists of design priorities. One western architect, whose firm was at the forefront in the design and implementation of numerous planning projects in China, surmised that planning was an area that received little attention in the university curricula. So when planning for a major metropolitan area has occurred, the Chinese have almost always turned to outside international firms for ideas and implementation. Read more… The Chicago Architecture Club Shines the Spotlight on Another Endangered Landmark 
Public Pool Image: ©Perkins&Will
What do Bertrad Goldberg and Helmut Jahn have in common? Besides having high-profile buildings threatened by demolition, both served as subject matter for two competitions sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Club (CAC)—raising public consciousness about their impending fate. They both produced buildings in a city famous for its architecture that have been abandoned: Goldberg’s Future Prentice Women’s Hospital, demolished in 2014 after a valiant effort by preservationists to save it from the wrecking ball; and Jahn’s Thompson Center, now the object of a similar effort by the State of Illinois to sell it to a developer. Read more… |
