The world of architectural competitions is far-reaching. Just taking a look at pages like Bustler anyone can have an idea of how many competitions for architects are launched each year. In this context, we think that it may be really difficult to innovate and create a competition that offers something fresh and new. This is exactly what our friends from CONDITIONS have done with their competition: Tell Them What They Need. As they explain:

Historically the architectural competition has been a testing ground for new ideas. It was understood as a space in which research and development, as well as the creation of critical architectural proposals, were possible. Today, competition architecture has increasingly become a service provision for the jury and a fulfillment of the technical requirements of the brief – in other words, simply what is needed to win the competition. Needs are generating ideas whereas ideas should be generating needs. The outcome is often predictable and conventional, stripping competitions of their significance as a critical tool.

Condition issue 3. Photo dpr-barcelona

Condition issue 2. Photo dpr-barcelona

CONDITIONS has always been involved in cultural, political, social and even in activist fields, covering issues such as the financial crisis, "copy paste" in architecture and other controversial topics, which you can quickly gather from looking at their magazines. Now they've decided to stimulate discussion around the practice of competitions:

Stimulus
- What needs to be changed, and how, in order to make competitions once again a tool for generating new ideas?
- What can be changed to improve the interaction between commissioner, client and end-user in the competition process?
- How do the mechanisms of competitions affect the built environment?
- What is the potential of architecture competitions?

The open [really OPEN] guidlines are:

This competition attempts to instigate change by challenging the established in a critical but constructive manner. Join us by contributing the questions not yet asked!There are no fixed requirements regarding submitted material. Entries could be in the form of a text, manifesto, collage, illustration, SMS, image, fax, diagram, installation, paper architecture, runners up, brief, historical material, etc. The essential idea is to explore the potential of the architectural competition – it is up to you how to communicate it. Please address the principle question of how to return to a condition where competitions generate ideas rather than simply deliver solutions.

What kind of project can fit within this guidelines? We think that they've grown tired of seeing submissions published every day in blogs and magazines labeled under the term "globalization" that increasingly just look like "little brothers" of OMA's latest project. This is the reason for their provocative competition and likewise, the reason we feature it here: To encourage all of you to participate and have your say on the current state of architecture.

From Copy and Interpretation. Photo dpr-barcelona

From Glamorous Compromise. Photo dpr-barcelona

Submitted material should reach Conditions by the 1st of November 2010

submission@conditionsmagazine.com
CONDITIONS ANS, Fjordveien 3, 0139 Oslo, Norway
T: +47 97183747
Questions: info@conditionsmagazine.com

More info about the jury and the prize at CONDITIONS. And more info of Conditions Magazine coming soon here, as they kindly sent us some magazines for a review, that we will publish in forthcoming days!