Cleveland MLK Public Library Branch Project Sponsors: Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland Foundation
Type: Open, RfQ, two-stage
Eligibility: Licensed architects
Language: English
Location: University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio
Fee: none
Timeline:
27 November 2017 (5pm EST) – RfQ deadline
18 December 2017 – Notification of semi-finalists
Building and budget details
• Building size: 20,000 sf (1-2 levels.)
• Air Space: The Developer will construct a residential apartment building in the air space above the library building as part of the overall development between 5 to 10 stories in height.
• Total Project Budget: $10 million, which includes all costs of design, permits, consultants, soft costs, construction, and all contingencies.
Two-Phase Design Competition Details
• Phase I – Semi-finalists
• Up to eight firms will be selected from the Statements of Qualifications in response to the Design Brief/ RFQ and will be interviewed remotely or in person. · Phase II – Finalists
• At least 3 firms will be selected from the Phase I interviews and Statements of Qualifications and be invited to develop a design concept for the new MLK Branch and present in-person.
Compensation
$20,000 will be paid to each of the three selected finalists upon satisfactory completion of the competition requirements to cover design costs and travel expenses.
Design Challenge The new Martin Luther King Jr. branch library (“MLK Branch”) will replace an older, outdated building that will be demolished to make way for a large residential and commercial mixed-use project in Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood. This offers the Library a unique opportunity to both significantly upgrade its branch facilities and move to a location directly on Euclid Avenue, one of Cleveland’s most accessible streets for public transit. It also allows the Library to design a new, iconic facility that honors the legacy of the branch’s namesake—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Air Rights above Library
The Developers of Circle Square have the legal right to build in the airspace above the MLK Branch. The exact boundaries and dimension of the Developer’s air rights parcel have not yet been defined, but based upon the massing plan included as Attachment C, it is anticipated that a portion of the 5 to 10 story apartment building will be constructed in the air rights above the Library, partially covering the roof of the Library. The front of the apartment building will be set back approximately 37 feet from the front of the Library, leaving a section of the Library roof exposed. A portion of the Library roof will also remain exposed in the northeast corner, where Library mechanical equipment will likely be installed. There is no set height at which the air rights parcel must begin. Rather, the air rights parcel will begin at an elevation just above the roof of the Library and any equipment or amenities placed upon the roof. Structural columns to support the apartment building will need to be placed within the Library for which the Developers will be financially responsible. At this time the anticipated weight of the apartment building or the type of materials to be used is unknown, but these details will become available from the Developers before design concepts are developed. Although the two buildings must necessarily share some of the same building elements, the Library should be visually distinct from the apartment building and should appear as separate building. Plaza Adjacent to Library
The development currently contemplates a small plaza adjacent to the Library on the east side close to Euclid Avenue. The plaza’s frontage will be approximately 67 feet long, and the depth approximately 55 feet (See Attachment C). The Developers intend to install limited hardscaping in the plaza and invite the Library to collaborate on the design. The plaza will be open to the public, and the Library may use the plaza for periodic programming on a nonexclusive basis. Therefore, the Library design should incorporate access to the plaza. To view the competition brief, go to: https://cpl.org/wp-content/uploads/procurement/mlk-design-competition-brief-and-rfq-with-attachments.pdf |
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… |
