WWF Observation Cabins Site photo Sponsor: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Facilitator: Young Architects Competitions Location: Orbetello in Tuscany, Italy Awards: 1st Prize – €8,000 2nd Prize – €4,000 3rd Prize – €2,000 Gold Mentions (2) – €500 Timetable/fees: 11 April 2021 – End of early bird registration (€65) 9 May 2021 – End of Standard Registration (€85) 9 JUNE 2021 – Submission deadline Jury • Sou Fujimoto, Sou Fujimoto Architects • Kazuyo Sejima, SANAA • Patrick Lüth, Snøhetta • Mariana de Delás, Mariana de Delás • Raulino Silva, Raulino Silva Arquitecto • Simon Frommenwiler, HHF Architects • Nicola Scaranaro, Foster + Partners • Giulio Rigoni, BIG • Marco Cattaneo, National Geographic • Fulco Pratesi, WWF, Italia • Gilda Roberti, Region Tuscny • Renato Grimaldi, Italian Ministry of the Environment • Carlo Alessandro Puri Negri, BLUE SGR Design elements: • On-the-ground and raised observation points • Visitor’s Center ( Reception, Training center, Bookshop, Exhibition space and Guest house + restaurant) Challenge: This competition aims to rediscover the main identity of architecture, namely being a “tamed” nature where human beings can be moved by bright sunsets, be amazed by flying pink flamingos or tremble at the freezing touch of west breezes. Thanks to this competition architects will have the opportunity to play a crucial role in defending the planet designing observation points and a visitors’ center. Such elements will stand for a perfect combination of species, training place and beauty. This place will be a space to protect and safeguard nature. The competition is about exploring the relationship between architecture and nature.  Site photo For more information and to enter: https://www.youngarchitectscompetitions.com/competition/wwf-observation-cabins |
A Flawed Plan Leads to Budget Issues 
Competition rendering of project looking south to Mies museum ©Herzog de Meuron
Once considered on the forefront of modern architecture in post-WWII Europe, Berlin has had its share of questionable decisions concerning important urban projects in recent history. Beginning with the rebirth of the Berlin Palace (Humboldt Forum) on the Spree by Italian architect, Franco Stella, and now followed by Herzog de Meuron’s controversial addition to Mies’s 20th Century Art Museum, the times when one could look to Berlin as a signpost of architectural innovation can only be viewed in the rear view mirror.
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/ Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Competition  Image: ©KPMB Architects Not to be outdone by other Canadian provincial capitals, Halifax has chosen to make its own ambitious museum statement on the city’s waterfront. New museums in Vancouver, BC, Calgary and Fredericton, New Brunswick, the latter two by KPMB Architects, are either in development or already under construction. Saskatoon’s Remai Modern by KPMB and OMA’s Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec in Montréal were more recently completed, and Vancouver’s new Art Museum by Herzog & de Meuron is still under development. Read more… Urban Adaptation Competition  Image ©Francesco Allaixand Julio Orduña Recently we are beginning to see a resurgence of wood as a primary building material, not only for detached residential housing, but also for multi-family and commercial urban structures. Masonry, steel, and composite materials are still the bread and butter of the construction industry; but wood may be making serious inroads into the future of commercial buildings. Yes, we have seen the use of wood in interiors of large buildings: one of the more impressive projects being that of the Christ the Light Cathedral by SOM in Oakland, California. Read more…  Aerial view of site – Courtesy National Finnish Museum When major cultural institutions in Finland plan a new building project, one can almost always assume that an open competition will be the vehicle by which the client settles on the building’s design. The only question is, will this be organized in a format open to local, Scandinavian, or international architects. In the case of the National Museum of Finland annex competition, it was open to architects throughout the world — resulting in 185 entries. Read more… |