Architectural design competition

An architectural competition is a type of design competition, in which an entity that intends to build new work, or is just seeking ideas, invites architects to submit design proposals. The winning scheme is usually chosen by an independent panel of design professionals and stakeholders (such as government and local representatives, the leadership of a cultural institution, etc.). This process is often used to generate new ideas for building and/or landscape design, stimulate public debate, generate publicity for the project and the commissioning entity, and help emerging designers gain exposure (and potentially win commissions that might be out of reach to them otherwise). Architectural competitions are often, though not exclusively, used to award commissions for public buildings: In some countries, rules for tendering public building contracts stipulate some form of open architectural competition.^[1]

Winning first prize in a competition does not guarantee that the project will be realized. The commissioning body often has the right to veto the winning design, and both requirements and finances may change, thwarting the original intention. (Many competitions have been held and won before the financing was even in place.^[2]) The 2002 World Trade Center site design competition is an example of a highly publicized competition, in which only the basic elements of the winning design by Daniel Libeskind appeared in the finished project.