An architectural competition is a type of design competition, in which an entity that intends to build new work, or is just seeking ideas, invites architects to submit design proposals. The winning proposal is usually chosen by an independent panel of design professionals, stakeholders (such as government and local representatives, the leadership of a cultural institution, etc.) or public opinion. The effect of architectural competitions varies with competition format.[1]
Architectural design competitions are often used to generate new ideas for building and/or landscape design, stimulate public engagement, generate publicity for the project and the commissioning entity, and help emerging designers gain exposure (and potentially win commissions that might be out of reach to them otherwise). Architectural competitions are often, though not exclusively, used to award commissions for public buildings: In some countries, procurement rules for tendering public building contracts stipulate some form of open architectural competition.[2]
History
Architectural competitions have existed for more than 2,500 years. The design of the Acropolis, in Athens, resulted from an architectural competition in 448 B.C., as did several European cathedrals in the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, many projects initiated by the papacy or other top religious bodies were decided through design competition. Examples are the Spanish Steps in Rome and, famously, the competition for the dome of the Florence Cathedral, won by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1419. Open competitions emerged in the late 18th century in countries including the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, France, and Sweden.[3]
In 19th century England and Ireland, more than 2,500 competitions were held within five decades, with 362 in London alone. The Royal Institute of British Architects drafted its first set of rules in 1839 and its first formal regulations in 1872. German regulations had been introduced in 1867. In the same period, in the Netherlands, an association for the advancement of architecture (Maatschappij tot Bevordering van de Bouwkunst) started organizing conceptual competitions to stimulate creativity among architects.[4]
Various competition paradigms exist, most prominently the following types or combinations of them:[5]
Open vs, Invited (or Otherwise Limited) Competitions:
Open Competitions: international, national, regional, or otherwise defined in scope, they typically have little or no restrictions on who may enter.
Invited, Limited, Pre-Qualified, or otherwise Non-Open Competitions restrict who may participate (and, in many cases, also provide stipends or honorariums to participants) Project vs. Ideas Competitions:
Project Competitions: seek schemes for specific building and/ or landscape projects that the commissioning entities intend to realize
Ideas Competitions: held for the purpose of generating new ideas (in some cases, particularly novel, provocative, or visionary ones) Single- vs. Multi-stage Competitions
Single-Stage Competitions:
Multi-Stage Competitions (two stages or more), many of which invite only short-listed participants, a limited group of chosen semi-finalists, to continue to the next stage(s), for which they might receive a stipend or honorarium to help cover costs Anonymous vs. Non-Anonymous Competitions:
Anonymous Competitions: judged or juried, for greater objectivity, with no knowledge of the names or identities of participating individuals and firms
Non-Anonymous (or Cooperative) Competitions: Competing architects and firms are openly identified from the start (competitors might even be invited to present their projects in person to the jury to explain design strategies and provide for project-specific dialogue) Recurrent vs. One-Time Competitions:
Seasonal or Annual Competitions: These recurrent competitions, including Europan, put out periodical calls for entries. They may, or may not, result in an actual constructed project, depending on the set-up.
One-Time Competitions, held for a specific project
The rules of each competition are defined by the organizer; they often, however, follow the guidelines provided by the International Union of Architects[6] or the relevant national or regional architectural organization. Competition guidelines define roles, responsibilities, processes, and procedures within a competition[7] and provide guidance on possible competition types, eligibility criteria, jury composition, participation conditions, payments, prizes, publication of results, and other aspects.[8][9]
In France and Germany, design competitions are compulsory for all public buildings exceeding a certain cost.[2][10]
Winning first prize in a competition does not guarantee that the project will be realized. The commissioning body often has the right to veto the winning design, and both requirements and finances may change, thwarting the original intention. (Many competitions have been held and won before the financing was even in place.[11]) The 2002 World Trade Center site design competition is an example of a highly publicized competition, in which only the basic elements of the winning design by Daniel Libeskind appeared in the finished project.
Major international architectural design competitions
Most significant among architectural competitions are the ones which are internationally open, attract a large number of design submissions, and the winning design is built.
The Competition Project, Inc., a world-wide resource on competitions since 1990 with the periodical publication, COMPETITIONS (1991-2010) and COMPETITIONS Annual (2010-)
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