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©Adjaye Associates (UK) with AB3D Images courtesy Malcolm Reading Consultants.
Poland and the Baltic states have been playing cultural catch-up with the rest of the world ever since the former gained their independence after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1989. These have included several high-profile competitions for museums in Poland, but also interesting projects in Estonia. Now Latvia and Lithuania are saying that they too should also have modern art museums on par with those in western Europe and Scandinavia. In Latvia, a movement to establish a modern art museum dates back to the early decade of the 21st century. It was then in 2005 that the ABLV Charitable Foundation, established by a local bank, provided endowment funds for purchasing modern art for a museum. They were joined in the museum project by The Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation, which was founded with the purpose of promoting culture.
Finland has always had close times culturally to the Baltic States, especially to Estonia, and the recent Guggenheim competition there could hardly have gone unnoticed by its southern neighbors. So it should come as no surprise that the Latvian sponsors engaged Malcolm Reading Consultants, the Guggenheim competition adviser, to organize their competition for the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art in the nation’s capital, Riga. Contrary to the Guggenheim competition, this time the finalists were the result of a closed shortlisting process.
They were:
- Adjaye Associates (UK) with AB3D
- Architects Lahdelma & Mahlamäki (Finland) with MADE Arhitekti
- Caruso St John Architects (UK) with Jaunromāns un Ābele
- Henning Larsen Architects (Denmark) with MARK Arhitekti
- Neutelings Riedijk Architects (Netherlands)
- Sauerbruch Hutton (Germany) with Arhitekts Ingurds Lazdiņš
- wHY Architecture (US) with Outofbox and ALPS
All of the shortlisted teams had at least some museum experience, and those having somewhat less exposure in this area could point to their expertise in a number of projects relating to the arts. Some had made their mark lately, most notably wHY architecture (US) and Lahdelma & Mahlamäki (Finnland), the latter having won the prestigious open competition for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. With the exception of Neutelings Riedijk Architects, all of the finalists included at least one local Latvian firm on their team. The ultimate competition winner, Adjaye Associates (UK), could bask in the huge amount of publicity generated by the September 2016 opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Mall in Washington D.C.
The competition in many ways resembled a linear exercise, mainly dictated by the site and program. In the end, Adjaye Associates very straightforward, logical approach to the program won the day for the London firm. Although there were not enough jury comments to suggest how the other finalist team(s) were ranked, only one, Sauerbruch Hutton, was given a “mention’, although it was not to be considered as a ranking.
The museum will be built as part of New Hanza City, a new district at a former railway goods station in a northern district of Riga. Comprising 24.5 hectares, the development also will inclulde offices, apartments, a hotel, a nursery school and a public garden.
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Open Competitions |
United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Competition

Sponsors: Dept. for Communities and Local Government; UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation
Professional Adviser: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Type: Open, EOI, international, two-stage (No design is required for the first (EOI) stage.)
Eligibility: Seasoned practices are encouraged to combine with emerging talent. The teams should be structured under a lead consultant, who is an architect, identified within the submission.
Budget: £40M
Location: Adjacent to the Palace of Westminster in Victoria Tower Gardens, London
Fee: none
Timetable:
- 17 October (14:00 BST) EOI Deadline
- Early November Shortlist Announced
- Mid-January Tender Deadline
- Late January Exhibition Opens
- Spring 2017 Jury Interviews
- Summer 2017 Winner announced
Jury: TBD
Design Challenge
The design challenge is to create an outstanding and sensitively-designed Memorial and Learning Centre that is emotionally powerful while offering visitors an opportunity to deepen their understanding of humanity’s darkest hour. For some survivors – and those whose lives were affected by the Holocaust – survival stories can reveal glimmers of hope about human nature; for others, to perceive this moment in history as anything but unbearable is to compromise the Holocaust’s implacability.
For more information, go to:
https://competitions.malcolmreading.co.uk/holocaustmemorial/
All enquiries should be addressed to:
Jayne Broomhall
holocaustmemorial@malcolmreading.co.uk
+ 44 (0)20 7831 2998
Lamborghini Road Monuments
Sponsor: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.
Organizer: Young Architects Competitions (YAC)
Type: Open, one-stage, international
Timetable/Fees:
75€ +22% VAT – by 2 October 2016 (Standard Registration)
150€ +22% VAT – 3 to 31 October 2016 (Late Registration)
2 November 2016 – Deadline for Submissions
Prizes:
1st prize – 12,000€ + Construction
2nd prize – 4,000€
3rd prize – 2,000€
Hon Mentions (2) – 1,000€
Jury
• Patrik Schumacher – Zaha Hadid Architects
• Fabio Novembre – Studio Novembre
• Yama Karim – Studio Libeskind
• Nicola Scaranaro – Foster + Partners
• Giuseppe Cappochin – C.N.A.P.P.C
• Annalisa Trentin – UNIBO
• Stefano Domenicali – Automobili Lamborghini
• Franceco Dal Co – Casabella
Design Challenge
How to reflect the character and the values of one of the most renowned and valued brand of the international scenario in an architectonic installation?This is about designing two architectonic landmarks aimed at marking the entrances of Sant’Agata Bolognese and its plant. The two landmarks are to celebrate the legend and sculpt in form the history of speed, power and innovation. Aimed at creating an internationally known intervention, Lamborghini Road Monument will soon mark contemporary architecture significantly. Moreover, it will give the opportunity to value the talent of the designers working for the House of the Bull, which is one of the most prestigious and renowned brands in the world.
For more information, go to:
http://www.youngarchitectscompetitions.com/competition
New Cyprus Museum Competition
Sponsor: Government of Cyprus
Type: International, restricted (EOI), two-stage
Fee: none
Language: English
Eligibility: Licensed architects
Contract value: 410,000€
Timetable:
9 January 2017 – RfQ deadline
23 January 2017 – Deadline for dispatch of invitations
Jury:
• Mr. Alecos Michaelides
• Dr. Marina Solomidou-Ieronymidou
• Sir Peter Cook
• Mr. Elias Zenghelis
• Mr. Michael Papageorgiou
• Ms. Elena Sofianou
• Ms. Athina Papadopoulou
• Mr. Angelos Ktorides
• Mr. Gregoris Patsalosavvis
For more information:
Public Works Department
165 Strovolos Avenue
For the attention of: Elena Kyriakou Georgiou
2048 Nicosia
Cyprus
Telephone: +357 22806715
E-mail: egeorgiou@pwd.mcw.gov.cy
Fax: +357 22498937
Website: https://www.eprocurement.gov.cy/ceproc/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=1707321
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to:
Building of the Audit Office of the Republic of Cyprus
6 Deligiorgis Street
1406 Nicosia
Cyprus
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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.
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… |