Rethink Athens European Architectural CompetitionSponsor: Onassis Foundation
Type: Open, Two stage, European
Fee: None
Eligibility: Liscensed Architects from EU countries
Timetable:
7 September, 2012 – First Stage submission deadline
Awards:
First Stage:
Participants selected for 2nd stage of competition – € 25,000 honorarium each “Utopian” Proposal Award – € 10,000 Up to 5 additional proposals (at discretion of Jury) – € 5,000 each
Second Stage:
Cash prizes totaling € 160,000 1st prize – 45% 2nd prize – 33% 3rd prize – 22%
Jury:
First stage: CHAIRMAN OF THE 1ST STAGE JURY: Anthony Vidler -Dean & Professor, The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, Cooper Union School of Architecture, New York City, USA Eran Ben-Joseph – Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning Head, Joint Program in City Design and Development MIT, USA
Alfredo Brillemburg – Architect, Guest Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture & Planning at Columbia University, Co-founder of the Sustainable Living Urban Model Laboratory at Columbia University, USA
Yannis Evmolpidis – Urban Planner, Special advisor of the Mayor of Athens in urban planning and regeneration
Konstantinos Moraitis – Architect, Assoc. Professor at the School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
Marianna Moschou – Secretary of the Board, Onassis Foundation
Richard Plunz – Director, Urban Design Program, Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, Columbia University, USA
Charles Waldheim – John E. Irving Professor and Chair Department of Landscape Architecture Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Vana Xenou – Professor, Department of Architecture, Painting Workshop, NTUA, Greece
Design Challenge:
Purpose of the Competition is the selection of the Architect (Person or legal entity), that will undertake the design of the architectural public space for the creation of a New City Center in Athens along the axis of Panepistimiou Street. The objectives for the city center re-constitution, extending from Amalias Ave to Patission Ave, are the transformation of the city center into a destination for the public instead of a traffic area for motor vehicles, the functional, aesthetic and environmental upgrade of the city center, the re-enhancement of commercial, administrative and financial activities in the city,the repopulation of the city center, the highlighting of the historical and cultural identity of the capital, the improvement of quality of life for all citizens.
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Chungji National Heritage Museum Competition
Image ©Ona Architects + Jongjin Lee architects + Laguillo Arquitectos
For those unfamiliar with Korean Heritage and its symbols, the choice of the jury for a new complex to house artifacts, now located at various scattered sites, would seem to beg more information, especially when one views the designs of the non-selected finalists—all quite modern. Some of this can certainly be explained by the subject matter of the new museum’s holdings, another by the site in broader terms. Some might say that emphasis placed on the heritage element in the design brief fostered an interpretation leading to the choice of the winning design: “The site chosen for the new Chungji National Museum is logical: Chungju, located in the central part of the Korean Peninsula, is the center of the so-called ‘Jungwon culture,’ which has played an important role geographically and historically since ancient time. Jungwon culture developed around the Namhan River, which runs through the central region from east to west, and the relics showing this are currently scattered and stored in various museums.”
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/ 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.
Read more…
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.
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… |
