Holešovice–Karlín FootbridgeSponsor: The Capital City of Prague
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Type: Open, international
Language: The competition brief is in both Czech and English, but will be held in Czech only.
Eligibility: Open to all professional teams
Fee: None
Awards:
1st prize 1,000,000 CZK (US $41,161)
2nd prize 600,000 CZK (US $24,696)
3rd prize 350,000 CZK (US $14,406)
Honourable mentions: 50,000 CZK (US $2,058)
Timetable:
25 July 2017 – Registration & submission deadline
Description:
The river is a landscape feature that makes a major contribution to the appearance and character of the city of Prague, while also forming a natural barrier between the two parts of the city lying on opposite banks. Karlín and Holešovice are important city districts that lack good connections between them, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. The new footbridge is intended to create this connection and, from a citywide perspective, to contribute to making the cycle route along the Žižkov–Karlín–Holešovice–Troja axis more compact. The new footbridge will also be important in opening up access to the Štvanice island, making it a major recreational centre. Štvanice can be accessed by cars via the Hlávkův bridge but this route is not ideal for pedestrians and is a long way for residents of Karlín and Holešovice to walk. Both banks are now connected to the island by ferry. The idea of building a footbridge over Štvanice has long been a part of the land use plan. An architectural competition was held in 1999 to de ne the appearance of the footbridge. However, a er the oods in 2002, ood protection measures were reinforced. The reason for holding a new competition is primarily that the technical and legislative requirements have changed and the situation on both riverbanks and Štvanice island have deteriorated due to the lack of a footbridge. The new footbridge would provide convenient and easy access. The most important restrictions on the design are requirements relating to ood protection, water ow and waterway management, the nature of the urban situation on both banks and requirements for wheelchair access to the footbridge. The footbridge will be located near urban heritage sites – Dejvice, Bubny, upper Holešovice and Karlín – and in the Prague Conservation Area. It will impinge on notable vistas along the Vltava river and run through a regional bio- corridor on the Štvanice island. The design of a new footbridge should therefore emphasise respect for the environment and a minimal impact on the landscape. For more information, go to: https://www.tenderarena.cz/profil/zakazka/seznamDokumentu.jsf?id=87879 |
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… 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/ 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… Vilnius Railway Station and Public Square Competition  Vilnius Station competition Image: ©Zaha Hadid Architects In European cities, recent history has seen their central railway stations become the subject of upgrades, or totally new projects, many of them springing up in Eastern Europe. In most cases, the focus on this phenomena occurred several decades after earth-shaking political events. In Germany it was the construction of a new main central station (Hauptbahnhof) shortly after the reunification of Germany and Berlin. in Estonia, and now Lithuania, it has occurred after the independence of those countries in conjunction with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. And in Hungary, it was the subject of a recent competition encompassing a large area surrounding the station. Read More… |