Sponsor: UED Magazine Type: International student competition Timetable: 30 August 2020 – Registration deadline 20 September 2020 – Submission deadline Jury: • Wolf D. Prix, COOP Himmelb(l)au (Jury Chair) • Cui Kai, UIA Representative, Chinese Academy of Engineering • Kong Yuhang, School of Architecture, Tainjin University Awards: 1st Prize (1) – 100,000 RMB (approx. USD 15,000) 2nd Prize (3) – 30,000 RMB (approx. USD 4,500) 3rd Prize (8) – 10,000 RMB (approx. USD 1,500) All of the above are before taxes. Background “A century ago only 10% of the people of the planet lived in cities, and, according to the United Nations, this number is set to rise to 75% by 2050.” Besides these macro statistics, the surprising similarities of modern cities across the planet earth deems it increasingly necessary to consider the impacts of growth on people and on the environment. The analysis and understanding of the interaction between city, architecture and inhabitants; and how we chose to shape our cities, buildings and public spaces will indeed determine and relate to many other facts that will help determine our approach to future cities. Argument Many cities have increasingly alienating nature; in their density one finds “space” but no sense of “place.” The urban inhabitants constantly arrive “anywhere,” but not “somewhere.” Under such circumstances, what shall be the true concern of man in general, and what shall be the concern in architecture profession in particular? Analysis We have four squared plots, each plot 200 meters by 200 meters; we have to design mixed-use buildings for 2.000-8.000 people per plot. The building language is different, should be different, towers, high-density, low-density structures, whatever you want. But then, you have to add to the buildings, 30% green, on top of the buildings, on top of the roofs, courtyards, whatever you like; or, you can increase the greenery percentage in one plot, so that you have 50% – 60% green; or you allocate one plot to low density buildings and the other square to high density building, a city inside the city. In the middle of the four plots there should be a subway station; the program of every plot should be different, meaning one plot has more apartment buildings, the other plot has… etc. But it should be mixed-used within each plot as well, one square may be mainly allocated to shopping, one square to apartment, but each plot should still be mixed-up. The theme of the entire area is of a Media Culture Center, and by extensive, it could be considered as an experimental unit with innovative strategies, which hopefully will contribute as the trigger for the future urban prototypes. Purpose To reflect the phenomenon of “pseudo-humanistic care” in the post-media society, we wish to engage the younger architecture professionals as a solutions oriented generation rather than of computer generated generation. For More information: http://hypcup.uedmagazine.net/?r=site&en=1
Book Review
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:
If one were to search for a railway museum in the U.K., London would seem to be an obvious choice. But, as it happens, its location is in the northeastern city of York, far from the major cultural and economic centers of the country. But despite its distance from the major metropolitan areas to the south and west, York has managed to become the focal point of research into the history of rail in the U.K., supplemented by a major museum. Here we are not just talking about some posters, but sheds replete with a large collection of vintage trains.
Foundation non-profits are no strangers to good architecture. Ford Foundation’s forward-looking headquarters in New York City by Roche Dinkeloo was an early example of a non-profit using architecture as a vehicle for serving to brand it as a progressive institution. In 2001 the California Endowment went one step further, staging an invited competition for their new headquarters in Los Angeles.
Master plans have been around for ages; but master plans for very large cities with all their support systems are relatively new. Milton Keynes (MK), located in Buckinghamshire in southern England, and begun in the late 1960s, is one of the most successful of the new cities, now having a population of almost 250,000. Its success lies mainly on the lessons learned from the establishment of the planning which generated the new towns in the U.K. during the 1940s and 50s, many of which have not fared well in the test of time. MK’s success was based primarily on the careful separation of high density from residential where the influence of the “garden city” could be seen. Here the idea of a live/work environment was even incorporated.
The updating and modernization of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport has been well overdue. Aside from occasional problems caused by Chicago’s winter storms, congestion at the airport has led air travelers to avoid the airport when catching a connecting flight is on the agenda. So Chicago, noted for its modern architecture and the home of several high-profile architecture firms, decided to turn to an invited competition for a solution to these issues.
Competitions in Chicago in the recent past have been anything but encouraging, especially when transparency is an issue. During the competition for the Obama Center on the South Side, the Obama Foundation, which was responsible for the administration of that “competition,” was anything but a model of transparency; and to this day, none of the finalist designs, other than that of the winner, have seen the light of day. In the case of the O’Hare project, videos submitted by the five finalists teams were on public display, and the public was even asked to vote for their favorite.
In these times when political emotions run high and gun violence is the norm, not the exception; and when emotions no longer are held in check, but encouraged by our leaders, minorities become easy targets for those who adhere to ideologies based primarily on exclusivity and hate.
The LGBT community has long been the target of various segments of our society; but the massacre that took place at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a favorite hangout for gays, elevated this phenomenon to a new level. After an event that claimed the lives of 49 victims, injured 68 others, and left hundreds permanently traumatized, it should come as no surprise that a memorial to this tragedy has been front and center in the minds of the community ever since. Because the very nature of this event has drawn nationwide attention, the community wanted to get it right. So it was only logical that they would turn to a competition as the most viable vehicle for arriving at a solution for the design of a memorial, as well as a museum. For this, the onePULSE Foundation was formed, to memorialize this tragedy and “ensure that Pulse”s legacy of love, acceptance and hope will never be lost.”
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