A Tribute to Eisenhower Night view of the memorial tapestry from Independence Avenue, with Gehry’s sketch of the Normandy cliffs. Explaining the contributions of a World War II hero and later President of the United States on a very modest site on Independence Avenue just off the Washington Mall is tantamount to asking an author to describe the life of this person in no more than one paragraph. But on September 17th, after a long and bumpy journey, lasting almost 20 years and navigating a warren of the DC approval processes and public scrutiny, the Eisenhower Memorial finally was dedicated and opened to the public. Designed by Frank Gehry, it has received mixed reviews, the majority being more positive. But most have pointed out that the memorial is more impressive at night than in full daylight. This is due primarily to the illumination of an almost block-long metallic tapestry—featuring a sketch by Gehry, which depicts his interpretation of the cliffs of the Normandy coastline where the Americans landed on D-Day. The Competition In 2008, the groundwork was laid for the staging of a design competition. Although one of the Commission members suggested that Frank Gehry be given the commission outright to furnish a design, cooler heads prevailed, and an invited competition* with a shortlisting process resulted in entries from four finalists: • Gehry Partners, Santa Monica, California • Rogers Marvel Architects PLLC, New York, NY • Krueck & Sexton, Chicago, Illinois • PWP Landscape Architects, Berkeley, California Contrary to the other presenters, Gehry arrived with three proposals, not just one. This was not regarded by the jury as a rules violation, and the commission to execute the design of the memorial went to Gehry. Gehry’s original proposal, as seen during a development phase after winning the competition, featured six columns bordering on Independence Avenue. It did recognize the difficulty of this rather cramped site to make such an important statement. Thus, the approach became an open area, leaving the tapestry as a backdrop to the blocks providing information about Eisenhower’s life. The only remaining columns openly visible from Independence Avenue were one at each end of the site.   Early 2010 development design after the close of the competition. Photos: courtesy ©Gehry Partners Dropping the idea of the majority of those columns on Independence Avenue actually became rather unimportant, as the others are now partially hidden and vaguely visible as part of the tapestry. The final use of columns, although having no support function, was on the rear side of the tapestry, facing the 1961 Department of Education building.** The relatively narrow space between the memorial and the Department of Education building was treated rather mundanely, with almost no vegetation to soften the impact of lots of stone. But the more important features of this memorial, information-wise, were the inscriptions placed throughout the site, briefs narratives about Ike’s life, and the impressive visual interpretations of Eisenhower by sculptor, Sergey Eylanbekov. Conclusion Capturing the multifaceted career of Dwight Eisenhower, from army general to university president and U.S. president, is no easy task. You might say he was an administrator at different levels; with his strengths and weaknesses in all of those pursuits. What he also can be remembered for is his talent for delegating tasks to experts with real expertise in the decision-making processes, a talent so lacking in our present day administration. Gehry may only have managed to suggest this on the surface: a total image reflecting such a talent cannot be easily projected solely with the landing in Normandy. But one certain strength of this memorial is its 24-hour access, where visitors can read about Ike’s most important accomplishments during an important period in our history. *Here it should be noted that Ed Feiner, head of the GSA’s Excellence in Architecture program, was a strong voice for an open competition, similar to that which resulted in the Vietnam Memorial. An article on the design competition was published in COMPETITIONS, Vol. 20, #4 (2010). See: **This use of columns was reportedly a concession made by Gehry to obtain approval from Commission member, David Eisenhower.        Current photos: ©Paul Spreiregen To access the original COMPETITIONS article about the competition, go to: https://competitions.org/2011/02/new-article/?preview_id=17063&preview_nonce=269fd837f9&_thumbnail_id=17062&preview=true |
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.
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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… |