An open international contest has been announced to design an "iconic" [ugh] pedestrian bridge in Amsterdam.
Apparently, the architecture of the bridge should "reflect contemporary design tendencies", whatever they may be. Perhaps that means they want a bridge which looks like a turd shat by a giant penguin across a canal.
It's a single stage contest: to enter, you simply have to pay the registration fee (US$80 until 15th December, rising to US$120 until 15th February) to receive full contest details.
The winner gets a US$3,000 prize, there are smaller prizes for second and third, and there will be seven honorable mentions. Winners will be announced on 15th March 2012.
They emphasise that "there are no plans for the Iconic Pedestrian Bridge to be built." The site for the (imaginary) bridge, which would be about 90m long, is in front of the Amsterdam Heritage Museum, spanning the River Amstel. No engineering calculations are required, instead the structural design is suggested to be "architectonic" in nature. The biggest geometrical challenge is that a 15m navigation headroom is specified.
The competition is organised by AC-CA (Architectural Competition Concours d'Architecture), a private company whose business seems to be running contests for designs which will never get built, the architectural equivalent of vanity publishing.
I really must get back to writing up some more Merseyside bridges to post!
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8 comments:
Sounds like AC stands for Awful Chancers. However I would still like to see a rendering of your proposed 'iconic' design.
Sooo, let me get this straight. I can change architects $80 a head to enter a contest, where the project will never be built?
So do I have to give a cash prize or can I just collect the money?
I am thinking of having a competition every week! Some weeks I may only charge $40 bucks.
:)
To Money for old rope: The Happy Pontist definitely won't be entering, I have too much paid work for genuine clients to be spending any time on this one.
Dear HP,
I take offense to your denigration of animal excretions in the creation of beautiful structures. Today, I saw a nature program on the magnificent structures created by animals just using various excretions. Giant termite mounds, vast ant hills, bee hives, wasp and hornet nests, spider webs, etc. are all created from the different orifices on animal's bodies.
why are you so bitter. If this is a company and I expect them to cover their cost or make a profit and as they are taking the risk of organising these competitions for us. When I registered with AC-CA I knew they were not a charity or government financed. And their registration fee is cheaper than most other competitions.
Why don’t you work for a practice for nothing(no wage)for your time and talent instead. The problem with people like you is that you want everything for free (free lunch). Do you thinks that practices like Fosters + partner, renzo piano who design those buildings you admire do it without a profit with all the people they employee?
I look forward to you running your own competitions with free registration and with a $10,000 prize and also employing people for the company.
I will alway do competitions not just AC-CA as it gives me an opportunity that I do not get in the international practice I work for.
Ben
Dear Anonymous, I can't speak for the other Anonymous to whom I think you are responding, but I agree that if AC-CA are going to offer a cash prize for this type of contest, they need to raise money somehow. I appreciate also that in tough economic times many designers will relish the chance to submit something for this contest and use it on their portfolio. It's also a nice opportunity for people not already doing this type of work to "stretch their legs". For the rest of us, however, it's a complete irrelevance.
Very nicely said all that, but:
ac-ca and archtriumph are run by a Mr. "Damien Izøulet" out of London- google that. And now google his name together with the french team that made second prize: Paul Rolland, Hans Lefevre, Matthieu Bergeret
Company: 2:pm architectures. Surprise, surprise...
The Nigeria-connection is a Kindergarten against this guy's scam-scheme. Good luck and lots of fun with their other running competitions!
Wow, that seems true. Just googled that. Isn't that illegal? And who is the jury anyway? Some neighbors?
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