Impetus for boldness
Benefits of global design competitions featured in special issue of L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui
The LafargeHolcim Awards boost designs which might be radical, new, difficult, original or untried says architecture critic Edwin Heathcote in a special issue of L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui (AA).
There are design competitions which call for solutions to a brief and then there are competitions which pit already completed projects against each other. But, arguably, the most useful competitions, the ones which can have the most impact globally with relatively minimal means, are those which recognise the originality and interest in a project which is already in the ether and which give it the impetus to become reality.
Last updated: July 12, 2019 Paris, France
by Edwin Heathcote
Architecture is always a process pitted against the forces of conservatism and finance and the most innovative ideas often struggle to be seen and heard amidst the clamour. Where an international panel of judges and the backing of a globally recognised sponsor can identify something special, something that looks interesting and different and is attempting something ambitious, it is often precisely that recommendation which leads local figures to recognise the achievement and the potential.
There is, of course, an irony in the idea that what is often most directly under the noses of those involved is invisible until others from half a world away identify it as something of interest, but it is the way the world works. That validation is often precisely the trigger that young architects need to be able to persuade and convince others that their plans have value.
The role of this kind of competition is the value it adds, the boost it gives to a design which might be radical, new, difficult, original or untried. Without them, so many new ideas may never get realised, so many transferable technologies and innovations may remain unbuilt.
Read more about the benefits of global design competitions in the special issue of AA which brings together almost 50 experts affiliated with the LafargeHolcim Awards.
International LafargeHolcim Awards for Sustainable Construction open for entries
The LafargeHolcim Awards seeks leading projects of professionals as well as bold ideas from the Next Generation that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural excellence. The 6th cycle of the international competition is open for entries until February 25, 2020. The Awards offers a total of USD 2 million in prize money and foregrounds projects and concepts from architecture, engineering, urban planning, materials and construction technology, and related fields.
Further reading
L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui
From peer to peer
Paris, France
Book announcement
Competitions boost projects, careers and networking opportunities
Zurich, Switzerland