Competing in Architecture

The theme chosen for the present special issue of Nordic Journal of Architectural Research is Competing in Architecture. For architects competingis of particular interest. This is due not only to the fact that the competition to architects is a way of presenting their work to potential clients, away of probing their creative ability and impressing their colleagues. It is just as important that competition activity is part of the architects’ selfimage and professional culture and that the competition is supported by their own organization. The architecture competition in its modern form was revitalized in Europe at the end of the 19th century in the wake of industrialisation, while at the same time architects organized themselves as a profession. This is the reason for the special position occupied by competitions among architects. The present-day importance of the competition is demonstrated by the fact that architects’ associations employ competition secretaries and at their annual meetings select committees to supervise competition activities. Competition projects are commented on and presented in special journals and on home pages. These are all clear signs of the significance of the competition to the profession. One of the first tasks of the architects’ organization was to systematize competing in architecture and urban design. The next task was to get the competition rules accepted by clients as well as their own members. One of the competition forms—the project competition—has been included in the legislation of EU member states through a specific resolution (Directive 2004/18/EC). As a consequence of this regulating activity the competition has acquired a double role, turning into an arena for the development of innovative solutions to design problems as well as becoming a tool for the commissioning of architect services for public projects.

Editors' notes
Magnus Rönn & Gerd Bloxham Zettersten

Curating the Mainstream: The Case of the German Wettbewerbe Aktuell
Torsten Schmiedeknecht

Analysis of Architectural Representation as a Research Method: National Library Competitions
Francisco Gomes & Jason Paul Haskins

Competition Programs as Articulator of Welfare Goals Concerning Dependent Seniors
Jonas E. Andersson

Architectural Persuasion: On Quality Assessment in an Architectural Competition
Charlotte Svensson

A Case Study: The Jury Process in an Ideas Competition for a Small Urban Centre
Leif Östman

A Theory for Assessing Quality in Architecture Competitions
Magnus Rönn

Housing Competitions - Elaborating Projects in their Specific Process Framework
Antigoni Katsakou

Is there an "Impure" use of the Competition for an Urbanistic Project of Architecture? Two Contemporary, Political Cases in Copenhagen
Gerd Bloxham Zettersten & Maja Sandberg


Läs Nordisk Arkitekturforskning #1 2012.

Publicerad: 2012-10-26

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