Architectural Design Competitions in Europe from the 15th to 21st centuries

17 - 19 November 2022
Paris
France

Overview International Symposium
17-19 November 2022, Paris, Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine

The colloquium will focus on several research topics including the actors and organizational procedures, the different stages of the competition, the constitution of a regulatory body – in a perspective compared to the European scale – as well as the means of communication and publicity. The role of construction companies and trade unions in the development and growing professionalization of these types of consultations should also be taken into account. How are the members of the jury chosen and according to what criteria? How are the rules concerning renderings and financial compensation determined, whether they be in open or closed competitions? What role do contemporary architecture critics and architecture academies play especially in the projects being accepted? What types of constraints are imposed on winners as to the definitive project? Finally, to what measure do foreign architects adapt their projects to the practices and organizational arrangements of the organizing country?

Are certain organizational models transposed to other countries? It also necessary to look at the role that these competitions play in the globalization of typologies and architectural language taking into account digital renderings. Finally, the didactic or pedagogic dimension of competitions could also be the topic of a talk: the same applies to questions of etymology as well as the terminology used in competitions.

As a follow-up to the 2021 seminar, this first symposium, scheduled for the 17th and 18th of November 2022 at the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine in Paris, is meant to take stock for the first time of the state of research at the French and European scales. It is therefore a matter of identifying keys to understanding that are specific to the French context and cross-border issues.

Researchers who wish to propose an original contribution are invited to send their proposals (with a title) and a resumé (approximately 200 words) along with a short biography before the 30 April to benjamin.chavardes@lyon.archi.fr
The official language of the symposium is French, but proposals and talks will also be accepted in English and Italian.

The full call for papers can be found here.

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