Canning Dock Competition Sponsor: National Museums Liverpool (U.K.) Type: International, RfQ, invited Competition Manager: Colander Associates Location: The National Museums Liverpool (NML) comprises eight museums and galleries and has one of the largest collections in the UK. Several of the venues, including International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum and the Museum of Liverpool are located on the Liverpool waterfront. It is a stunning location with a powerful heritage narrative that has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. Language: English Fees: none Timetable: 23 April 2021 – RfQ Submission deadline 21 May 2021 – Announcement of shortlist 20 July 2021 – Stage 2 submissions due Compensation: Each competitor that is shortlisted to take part in Stage 2 will be offered an honorarium of £10,000 + VAT (if required), payable on receipt of a compliant Stage 2 submission. In addition, each team will receive an allowance of up to £5,000 to build their temporary 3D structure on the quayside Jury: TbD (Jury panel with be the same for Stages 1 and 2) Design Challenge: There are four parts to the project: There are four parts to the project: - Public realm, including a public art strategy – agile public space with a design that considers wayfinding throughout the site, the hard landscaping of the quaysides, seating, lighting, signage, refuse disposal, power, and sites for storytelling/performance, art and museum artefacts.
- Pedestrian bridges between Mann Island and Hartley quay – new beautiful, iconic pedestrian bridges that have entry points onto the Canning Graving Docks quays, providing multiple routes through the NML estate. This includes a new swing bridge between Canning Half Tide Dock and Canning Dock, adjacent to The Pump House.
- Graving Docks (No1 and No2) and the historic boats within – a ‘Heritage Dock’ that includes the narrative of the Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum, and an ‘Experience Dock’ to include opportunities for commercial opportunities, workshops, storytelling, and performance. There are two vessels in the docks – Edmund Gardner and De Wadden, both are items from NML’s museum collections.
- North Shed – a new waterfront focal point, bringing visitors and pedestrians into proximity with the water, right at the heart of NML. This could include infrastructure for a temporary or permanent venue for commercial uses or events. Consideration to be taken as to how the unique offer of water on the site in Canning Dock can be animated.
For more information and entry requirements: https://www.colander.co.uk/architectural-competitions/colander-competitions/national-museums-liverpool-waterfront-transformation |
 Perkins & Will Carrying the label, “Artistic Ideas Competition,” five firms vied for a commission to design a new National Museum of the U.S. Navy. Household names, the five were Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) Copenhagen/ New York Gehry Partners (Los Angeles) DLR Group (Columbus, OH) Perkins&Will (Chicago) Winner! Quinn Evans (Ann Arbor) With a site not yet identified, it is possible that a final design will look quite different from the present submission. the Navy has expressed a preference for M Street SE and 6th Street SE, near the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. 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/ Six Firms Competed to Rethink the Future of a Major Museum  Aerial view of winning design ©Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos (courtesy Malcolm Reading Consultants) The history of the Dallas Museum of Art’s expansion has been punctuated by several moves, culminating in a new building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes in 1984. The importance of this move to a new, somewhat desolate location in the city cannot be underestimated: it has led to the revitalization of what is now called the “Arts District,” with the relocation of various arts institutions to new facilities: the opera house (Foster and Partners), Dee and Charles Wyly Performing Arts Theater (REX/OMA), Nasher Sculpture Center (Renzo Piano), and I.M. Pei’s Meyerson Symphony Center being among the most significant. Read more…  Courtesy Malcolm Reading Consultants, ©Kengo Kuma & Associates A UNESCO World Heritage Site Again on the World Stage How does one approach a challenge when creating a design worthy of a park with a history dating back to antiquity? This was what four design teams faced when shortlisted for the design of a Visitor Center for the Butrint National Park in Albania. The park’s history is illuminating in this regard.
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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… 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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