COMPETITIONS Quarterlies

The San Francisco Transbay Terminal Competition

City and Developer as Infrastructure
Catalyst

Aerial view of roof garden Photo: ©Jason O’Rear

Not since the Golden Gate Bridge and BART has San Francisco experienced an infrastructure project of the magnitude and importance as the recently completed Transbay Transit Terminal. The subject of a 2007 competition won by Pelli Clarke Pelli (PCP) with Peter Walker Landscape Architects, the project is only missing some rail connections, which will enable passengers to connect to many parts of the state in the foreseeable future.

OFFICE 52 at Carnegie Mellon

Form and Dichroic Light
Scott Hall at Carnegie Mellon University
Michelle LaFoe and Isaac Campbell
OFFICE 52 Architecture
Forward by Cesar Pelli, FAIA
Introduction by Michael J. Crosbie, FAIA
Leete”s Island Books, Maine USA
Hard cover; 96 pages in color
ISBN 9780918172709

In his introduction to Form and Dichroic LIght, Michael Crosbie never mentions the term, “wild card,” to describe Office 52’s participation in the invited competition for the Carnegie Mellon Engineering Building. The four finalists, picked from a list of 17 firms, also included three household names: ZGF, Wilson, and BCJ (Bohlin Cywinski, Jackson). So what possible chance could a firm, which had just recently opened a small office in Portland, Oregon, have against a competition lineup of this magnitude? But as OFFICE 52 Principal, Isaac Campbell explained, as a small firm, “we were quite nimble,” and the $50,000 stipend the firms all received to produce a design could allow OFFICE 52 more time to undertake the research involved than might be the case with a larger office, where a cost controller is constantly focusing on the operation.

Sandy Hook Memorial

Winning entry (image ©SWA Group)

Commemorating the deaths of 26 victims of a well-publicized school shooting is no small chore. But because of the tragic events at its elementary school in 2012, the village of Sandy Hook has achieved national prominence as a symbol of the gun violence afflicting the nation. Although it is almost impossible to bring closure to such an event, the community did determine that the establishment of a memorial would at least be a positive step in that direction. To arrive at such an important issue as a design for the memorial, it was determined that an international design competition was a logical path to follow.

Architecture as Political Statement in the Ukraine

Winning design: ©Kleihues + Kleihues Gesellschaft von Architekten

After an extended and rigorous competition process, the winner(s) of the National Memorial for the Heavenly Hundred Heroes and Revolution of Dignity Museum in Kiev have been selected. They are:

1^st Prize – Kleihues + Kleihues Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH, Berlin/Germany
2^nd Prize – Burø architects, Kiev/Ukraine
3^rd Prize – Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture, Paris/France

This was the second competition in the process to determine the designs for both the site and the museum complex itself. The purpose of the project was to honor the victims of the attempted suppression of the protests, which ultimately ended with the deposition of the pro-Russian premier, Viktor Yanukovych.

Where Ecology Rules: Hsinta Ecological Power Plant Competition

Winning entry by Morphosis (image ©Morphosis)

Whether it was the establishment of a shrimp industry, general water and flood abatement, or a site for bird migration, the Hsinta Ecological Power Plant competition produced a plethora of interesting approaches to mitigate the negative effects normally associated with the introduction of a power plant. Each of the five finalists in this international, two-stage competition showed an extensive amount of research to support their design strategies and the underlying sustainability features.

Mussolini on the Spree…and More

Berlin Palace reconstruction with replica of original facade on far right Photo: ©Elmar Engels

A construction site since the end of World War II, the apex of Berlin’s construction boom has seemingly reached a final stage with two major projects, one which is almost completed (Berlin City Palace), the other still on the drawing board, but scheduled to be realized by 2020—the addition to Mies van der Rohe’s New National Gallery by Herzog de Meuron. Above is a view across the Spree River to the almost completed Palace by Italian architect, Franco Stella, the winner of the 2008 competition. At first glance we think we might be finding ourselves in the EUR district of Rome, built during during the 1930s under Mussolini: the “modern” facade is almost a replica of one of the two buildings flanking the approach to Adalberto Libera’s Palazzo Della Civitá. Of course this is only the one, “modern” side of the Palace, looking east across the Spree to a future ensemble of modern structures. The other three sides are Baroque replicas of the original, including the dome.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE : Unless otherwise indicated, photographs of buildings and projects are from professional or institutional archives. All reproduction is prohibited unless authorized by the architects, designers, office managers, consortia or archives centers concerned. The Competition Project, Inc. is not held responsible for any omissions or inaccuracies, but appreciate all comments and pertinent information that will permit necessary modifications during future updates.

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