Architectural competitions have been responsible for some of the most incredible buildings in the whole world. One of the most surprising is the Houses of Parliament (aka the Palace of Westminster). The original was heavily damaged in 1834 following a fire due to an overheated stove. A Royal Commission was set up to determine what style the new building should take. Ultimately a competition was agreed on and 97 entries were studied. The winning design was by Charles Barry. The architect would receive a knighthood for the work.
Over the years many high profile architectural careers have been built on success in competitions. For example Charles Rennie Mackintosh saw his popularity rise following winning the right to design the Glasgow School or Art. Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers also enhanced their reputations with the Pompidou Centre in Paris.
The greatest thing about competitions is they challenge people to be creative whilst working towards a brief. It can result in really interesting ideas and innovative style choices. Both are great for the future of architecture and giving new talent an opportunity.
Although the basic concept of competitions is still sound and the potential is excellent there are a number of things that can cause issues. Firstly a poor brief that does not consider the site can cause lots of problems. Additionally judging inevitably comes down to opinions, especially if the judges are not from a relevant background. This can result in designs being chosen on the aesthetics alone rather than what a design team can contribute to the whole project.
Even with the possible flaws architectural competitions should continue to be as open as possible and give people the chance to submit their designs, even if they don’t have previous experience. Some of the most stunning buildings were created by architects with no prior experience in the specific field, including Sydney Opera House.
As one of the most passionate teams of architects London has to offer, we love to see competitions being opened up. We hope to see more and more of it, whether it is public buildings, private homes, or even larger developments.