International Open Ideas Architectural Competition CZECH REPUBLIC GREAT BRITAIN 2004-05
1 Invitation The Czech Centre London hereby invites submissions for an international open ideas architectural competition. The competition is a part of Architecture for Diplomacy project organized by the Czech Centre. The project aims to stimulate discussion with a creative focus on mutual inspiration between architecture and modern diplomacy in the 21st century. Participants are asked to submit design ideas of an ideal embassy of the future based on this brief which incorporates the results of a survey and a panel discussion which have been organized as a part of Architecture for Diplomacy project.
1.1 Organizer The Czech Centre is a Czech government agency based in London. The main mission of the Czech Centre is to promote dialogue between the Czech Republic and the UK through organizing cultural and social events. The Czech Centre aims to initiate and support mutual collaboration on all levels and sustainable networking between Czech and UK institutions, groups and individuals.
2 Theme - Background Organized by the Czech Centre and the Czech Embassy in London
Embassies represent their countries abroad as official symbols and seats of formal representation. An architect's input into the overall design of the building in addition to the official brief endows formal diplomacy with creativity and aesthetic content, which affects not only the building's users but the public above all. The design of an embassy should be steeped in a cityplanning context, focusing on the need for maximum functionality, while at the same time utilising original symbols and features evoking national identity of the country which it represents. Equally important - and ever more so in today's fast-changing world - are the overall safety and security requirements for an embassy. Blending all these requirements is a complex challenge between the need for practicality and function on one hand and the potential for visionary and inspiring design on the other.
3 Brief 3.1 The Principal Competition
3.2 Ambassador’s Premium
Design of an embassy for today and for the future. The design should take into consideration ideas and issues discussed earlier in the survey and the panel debate “Architecture for Diplomacy, Designing Embassies of the Future” published in the two pamphlets as a part of the brief. The competitors will receive the two pamphlets upon registration.
In addition to the Principal Competition there is an Ambassador’s Premium under the auspices of HE Stefan Füle, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the UK. The premium concentrates on the unique, award-winning building housing the Czech Embassy in Notting Hill, London, built in 1966-69.
The construction site is open to choice. Each competitor can set up his design at a place of his own choosing e.g. city centre, business centre, embassies’ quarter, several structures at different sites or any other solution. The choice should be explained in the accompanying text.
3.1.1 Considerations and Evaluation Criteria (In priority order) overall conceptual idea with an emphasis on originality, functional design and practicality (the focus is primarily on the general creative approach to the solution rather than on sophisticated visual presentation or advanced use of technical tools) potential of use of the solution in future practice in designing embassies (cost and construction practicality should be taken into consideration) the embassy needs to be able to accommodate changes in foreign policy while continuing fulfil all its different functions expression of a nation’s identity text explaining the solution
Based on the photography of the current building of the Czech Embassy, competitors are invited to redesign the exterior of the Embassy so the facade will challenge current trends and demands without a need to rebuild the entire structure of the building.
3.2.1 Considerations and Evaluation Criteria (In priority order) originality ability to renew and update the original design The entry/submitted solution is to be visualised and incorporated into the photograph, which can be downloaded from the website of the competition www.archiweb.cz/afd. The submission requirements are the same as for the Principal Competition.
4 Competition Format
6 Submission 6.1 Requirements
This is a one-stage international open ideas competition. The working language of the competition is English. The competition will be judged anonymously at the assessment by each member of the Jury Panel. The Principal Competition and the Ambassador’s Premium will be judged separately by the same Jury Panel.
4.1 Intention to Build The competition is a call for ideas only. There is no intention of the organizers to use winning designs for future planning and building. However, successful schemes will be presented to professionals and the general public. Any interested parties may contact the winning designers in relation to their work.
5 Eligibility The competition is open to current students (at the time of entry of the competition) of architecture and building environment courses in the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom of both undergraduate and postgraduate level regardless of their nationality or age. Neither members nor employees of the promoting body nor the assessors shall be eligible to compete or assist a competitor. Applicants may enter either the Principal Competition only or both the Principal Competition and Ambassador’s Premium. It is not possible to enter the Ambassador’s Premium without entering also the Principal Competition. Each competitor can submit one entry only for each part of the competition. If the entry is by a team of authors, the maximum number of team members is limited to three. All members must be clearly identified and named and must be current students at the time of entry.
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A submission package (separate packages must be sent for the Principal Competition and the Ambassador’s Premium) must contain: one B1 format (1300x728 mm) lightweight cardboard containing: one to three visualisations with illustration of the proposed design (min. size of the picture 230 x 180 mm) a short accompanying text explaining proposed solution in no more than 200 to 350 words in English in a readable size and layout identification label on the back with name, address and identification number of the competitor (which is to be received upon registration) CD-ROM with digital version of the visualisation in .jpg or .tiff format in a fine high resolution of at least 300 dpi and accompanying text in Microsoft Word .doc compatible format in English; a separate sheet of entry form with all required data must be put in a sealed opaque envelope, marked with competitor identification. The entry form is to be downloaded from the website of the competition; the competition entry shall not include any data that refers to the author.
6.2 Registration and Submission Method Registration form, downloadable from www.archiweb.cz/afd, must be mailed to the organizers to be able to participate. Competitors will then receive a full brief and identification number. The entry of each competitor is to be contained in a single package with the registration code on it (to be provided upon registration) and sent, carriage paid, addressed and endorsed “Architecture for Diplomacy” to: Czech Centre 13 Harley Street London W1G 9QG United Kingdom
or
˘ Ceská centra Václavské námestí ˘ 49 110 00 Praha 1 Czech Republic
All entries must arrive no later than 5.00pm GMT on 7 January 2005.
7 Jury Panel Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the UK Eva Jiricna Architects Ltd, Elected President of the Architectural Association Editor of Building Design Robert Booth Anthony McGuirk Chief of Architectural Profession at Building Design Partnership Acting Editor of The Architects’ Journal Ruth Slavid HE Stefan Füle Eva Jiricna
8 Awards Winner £2.500 prize money Two-week internship with Building Design Partnership Commendation (three awards) £500 prize money each Ambassador’s Premium £1.000 prize money Cash prizes donated by Norton Rose, the international law firm. At the discretion of the assessors, the prize fund may be aggregated and divided amongst a different number of competitors, however an order of merit will be indicated. The decision of the judging panel is final. No correspondence with competitors will be entered into.
9 Announcement of results The results will be published on the website of Architecture for Diplomacy www.archiweb.cz/afd within a week after decision of the Jury. The organizer will inform all winners individually. Award ceremony will take place at the Czech Embassy in London, presented by the Czech Ambassador and representatives of Norton Rose, the international law firm, in March 2005.
10 Return of work All submitted works will remain in archive of the organizer. No part of the entries (cardboard, CD-ROM) will be returned to the competitors.
11 Copyright The ownership of the copyright in the work of all competitors will remain with the authors in accordance with the Copyright and Patent Act 1988. It is intended that selected entries will be displayed at a series of public exhibitions both in the Czech Republic and the UK. The organizer will notify competitors whose designs will be selected of the time and place of any exhibition of the designs. The organizer reserves the right to publicise illustrations of any part of the entries submitted in the context of the Architecture for Diplomacy project only and use it for further evaluation of the project either separately or together with other entries with or without explanatory text.
12 Enquiries Queries concerning the competition can be made to the organizer of the competition (contact person: Barbora Mayer,
[email protected] with subject title marked “Competition”)
13 Competition Timetable Competition official announcement-launch: End of registration period: Deadline for written questions: Answers to questions circulated: Entries/closing date for delivery of entries: Assessment of entries: Results Announced: Awards Ceremony:
Organizers Sponsors
October 2004 30 November 2004 5 December 2004 15 December 2004 7 January 2005 February 2005 1 March 2005 March 2005
The Czech Centre London Embassy of the Czech Republic in London
Norton Rose, the international law firm Building Design Partnership
The project Architecture for Diplomacy is under the auspices of Cyril Svoboda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.